Chaos Bound: Never Give Up
by BettyBest2
Summary: SEQUEL. Sonic and Shadow get an unexpected gift they couldn't be happier to receive. Though danger still looms, and with Shadow keeping a secret from his past, things quickly spiral out of control before there's even time to stop it and their once happy life is once again put into peril.
1. Grin And Bear It

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. They all belong to SEGA.

The story, however, belongs to me.

Story Beta Read by: Pepper1622

 _Hey guys! Just wanted to say a few things before this began. I put a lot of effort into this sequel. Went through some writer's block-not that I didn't know what I wanted to happen, more that I didn't know how to put it in the right words-pushed some boundaries with how dark things will get, and just... I really hope you all enjoy this! Things'll start off slowly, but it'll pick up after a few chapters. Trust me ;)_

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 **:: Part One: Life Goes On ::**

" _Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them - that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like."_

-Lao Tzu

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 **~1~**

 **-Grin and Bear It-**

I'd held Sonic securely in my arms as he cried tears of sorrow and loss until he promptly fainted from the overwhelming emotions. I then shifted him into a more comfortable position and subtly wiped the few tears that managed to gather in my eyes as I gazed into his troubled countenance even in sleep. My gaze had subsequently found the doctor still in the room, her eyes showing a deep sadness for our situation.

Not enjoying the feel of a stranger showing such pity at my and my mate's expense, I'd inquired in a frigid manner, "What are you still doing here?" _Haven't you done enough?_

"I just wanted to inform you that the operation to remove the placenta went well. Usually the baby and the placenta pass naturally, but Sonic was having some difficulties, which is why the operation was needed. He'll just need to take some antibiotics for a week and he'll be fine. You can take him and pick up the medicine as soon as he wakes. Again, I'm sorry for your loss," Dr. Flo explained before walking out of the room.

Looking down at the tile floor, I'd squeezed my eyes shut and clenched the fist that wasn't grasping Sonic's tightly in grief. _Damn it! Why did this have to happen? Our baby… why was it taken away from us?_ I'd never really put much thought into kids—having not met many in life except Maria, Cosmo, and Tails—but the very idea of having one with my mate, _with Sonic,_ and to have it ripped away so suddenly seemed like the cruelest injustice I've endured thus far.

After that I'd decided that sticking around in such a clinical place would no longer be beneficial for my sanity, so I'd gathered Sonic in my arms, his form lying limply in my grasp, and Chaos Controlled back to his home, where I now look at his slumbering form in the bed where our child was first conceived.

I slip into a daze for a while, just thinking of what it would have been like to have a child with him. What it would have looked like, what gender it would've been, how we would have been as parents together… Luckily, the commotion downstairs pulls me out of my thoughts before I do something I'll regret later.

I walk down the sturdy steps and see Cosmo and Tails embracing in the living room with the Echidna and Rouge talking quietly near the doorway of the house. They all seem so happy and relieved, like a disaster was averted. Honestly, I wish I was that oblivious to the truth as well.

"Tails, really, I'm just so happy you're okay," Cosmo murmurs in a comforted voice, her eyes locked onto the slightly battered form of her mate.

"I was worried about you, too. When you got captured, I didn't know what would happen… Eggman's changed," he admits in a solemn tone.

Just hearing that low-life's name makes my blood boil as rage consumes me. Death wouldn't be punishment enough for vile _scum_ like him.

"Shadow?" My vision clears form the hazy red it was starting to be engulfed in, and I stare into four pairs of concerned eyes.

"What are you doing here? Is Sonic out of the hospital?" Tails, the one who spoke before, asks next.

I really don't wish to speak of it. The emotions that get involved are enough to destroy me on the inside several times over, but since his closest friends are all here, it seems a good enough time as any. I turn my attention to Cosmo when I start, wanting to ease everyone into the situation.

"Cosmo, do you recall earlier when you mentioned something different about Sonic's aura, that it was similar to that of certain plants? What were you referring to, exactly?"

Everyone seems confused by my choice of topic, but she answers earnestly, a hint of a smile growing on her face as she thinks about the beauty of the topic. "Oh, yes! His aura is similar to that of plants that are about to reproduce."

The three witnesses of our conversation go bug eyed while I simply sigh in defeat. _If only we had known before going into battle, this could have all been averted._ "That's what I thought you would say," I mutter in the end.

"Wait a second! Hold it! What do you mean by _reproduce?"_ Knuckles asks in a flabbergasted tone. Rouge next to him starts to look a bit uneasy as she fidgets with her hands, the violet wings behind her fluttering a bit.

Tails takes a small step forward as his appearance gradually gains a pale tinge. "What… happened to my brother?"

My body sags in defeat as I turn to go back up the banister. "I'll explain it all in a moment. I just want to be sure of something first… Cosmo, would you come with me for a moment? Sonic is… resting, so we must be quiet."

The others seem edgy after my intro but are willing to wait while I bring Cosmo upstairs. She follows after me silently on her dainty feet and stops when I do outside of his door. I look into her concerned blue eyes and tell her gently, "I just wanted to know if you still felt that difference in his aura." _Because I don't trust those white coats nearly as much as I do a friend._

She nods as I open the smooth wooden door to his room quietly, allowing her to peek in. I watch her as she seems to concentrate, her brows furrowing under her green bangs as she reaches an important conclusion. Her eyes lock with mine rimmed with little tears, and I finally accept his miscarriage as fact.

"What happened?" she asks, disheartened.

"Our baby is gone" is all I can say as I close the door behind us on what could have been.

Downstairs everyone has taken seats, Rouge and Knuckles on the love seat with Tails on the couch, their worry almost palpable in the air. Seeing Cosmo in tears doesn't help matters either.

"Okay, you've kept us all in suspense long enough. What's up with Sonic?" Knuckle demands once Cosmo takes comfort in the arms of her Bound.

I remain standing as if staying away from them will keep me detached from the situation, and then I just talk. "Sonic was pregnant."

"Pregnant? How is that—never mind. That hedgehog always does the impossible," Rouge responds candidly before her eyes suddenly widen and her hand grips the Echidna's, who seems pretty stunned by the news. My verb tense seems to have finally registered in her mind. "Wait— _was_?"

Tails seemed to have picked up that bit before I had even spoken based on Cosmo's earlier words and reaction, which is why he hasn't moved an inch since he gathered her in his arms.

"Yes, was. Apparently in a Dominate/Submissive pair, the Submissive can get pregnant, but only once. We had no clue that he was even carrying when he took a hit after our arrival to Metropolis Zone. That's when he… lost our baby," I explain quickly, feeling my fists tighten at my sides rigidly.

Tails' quiet gasp brings my red orbs up to his form. "When he was bleeding… that's when it happened, right?"

I'm slightly startled that he saw that, but I nod slowly anyway, feeling it wrong that such a young child witnessed such a thing.

"Shadow, I'm so sorry," the usually spirited albino bat tells me with utmost seriousness. "If there's anything I can do for you guys, just tell me," she adds with a small curve to her lips, although it doesn't reach her turquoise eyes.

I nod, appreciating the sentiment, although there's really nothing she can do, unless she can perform miracles. Knuckles' rising stature forces me to stand erect in preparation for a possible attack. He never did like me, for whatever reason.

He walks to me slowly, giving no signs of his intentions until his hand extends out in my direction as a symbol of a truce. "I may have misjudged you upon our first meeting, but I can see now that I was wrong. Sorry." I understand that he means for everything. I grasp his hand tightly as we shake, agreeing upon the truce.

This entire situation feels like it's drained me completely of energy, and I still have to collect Sonic's medicine, not to mention take care of him when he wakes up. Who knows what his reaction might be once the news has settled in.

Giving a heavy sigh, I turn to the exit in plans of heading back to the hospital when Tails calls out, "Where are you going?"

I tiredly give a curt answer, my mood for wanting to be around others completely gone—not that I really wanted company in the first place. "I need to pick up Sonic's antibiotics and hopefully get back before he awakens so that I can be here to help him."

"I'll do it for you. You seem exhausted. Plus I'm sure Sonic would want you beside him right now. Which hospital is it at?" Rouge asks while standing and stretching her wings casually, making me feel grateful to have her as a friend.

"The one in Hill Top Zone. It was the closest to where we were at the time," I tell her with slight teasing in my voice, comforted by the fact that I do have friends I can rely on.

"Damn it, Shadow. You should really feel lucky that I like you and Blue, otherwise I'd park my butt right on that couch and get some much-needed rest," she complains lightly while heading to the door.

"Thanks, Rouge," I say sincerely as she heads out, seeing her wave back sassily in reply.

I begin to walk up the stairs, leaving the others to their own devices, only turning back slightly when Cosmo comments, "We'll have dinner ready for whenever you guys want it."

Upon entering the room, I see Sonic curled up on his side, apparently still unconscious. I take off my shoes and place them next to the bed before climbing in behind him. I gently wrap my arms around him and hesitantly place my palms over the soft fawn fur of his stomach. It feels soft yet firm with muscle, like always.

Clenching my hands away from his stomach, I bury my face into his head quills, willing myself into a dreamless sleep so that the guilt I've suppressed doesn't try to overwhelm me, but the fact still remains true.

If I had just finished that book, I could have prevented this or at least known about it. Sonic losing our baby is no one's fault but my own.

~XxoOoxX~

 _The air around me is dry and stale, reminding me of abandoned buildings left to wither and decay, slowly and alone. My eyes can see nothing as the place is bathed in darkness. I'm about to take a step forward to see what's up with this weird situation I'm in when a soft spot light appears a distance in front of me._

 _A little girl—a hedgehog girl—sits in the center of attention, appearing absolutely helpless, maybe a few months old. I start to take in her features with a rising sense of disbelief and hope. Her fur and quills are just like that of my counterpart's; I stare into the big, childlike emerald eyes of what I believed to have lost._

 _An urge so great I don't even consider fighting it consumes me, commanding me to take her into my arms and never let her go. When I attempt to move, that's when it occurs to me that I can't. No matter how hard I try, my body stays motionless, in the perfect view of the little girl._

 _My heart rate picks up as uneasiness starts to settle into my mind._ Why can't I move? I need to get to her. _Just as that thought finishes, I see that her little face begins to scrunch up in discontent, and little cries and whimpers begin to leave her as her big emerald eyes become glossy with tears._

 _Worry surges through me, and the first thing I try to do is speak soothingly to comfort her. Not a sound escapes me._ Oh, no… What's going on? _Fear and concern engulf me as she begins to cry louder and hold her arms towards me in need._

 _That's when I see it. A very familiar silver robot heading straight towards my baby._

 _My heart plunges into my stomach, drowning me in the deepest fear and desperation I've ever experienced._ NO! _Completely oblivious to the danger heading straight for her, my little girl continues to cry for me, her face streaked in tears, covered in sadness and dejection._

 _The clanging of its metal feet as it moves ominously closer to the innocent little hoglet reverberates in my ears like a countdown to my world's shattering. I struggle relentlessly to move, scream so loud my voice would be ruined if I were allowed to speak, in my desperation to do_ something _to save her._

 _Nothing works. It doesn't stop. And when it's upon her, my little girl finally takes notice, her little ears folding back in genuine fright. Just when he's about to attack, the lights go out, blinding me from seeing what's happening._

 _Unfortunately, I can still hear._

 _Her babyish cries cut off abruptly as I hear a dull_ thud; _the sound of thick liquid splashing across the ground makes me genuinely sick as silent wails leave me._ NO! N-no! YOU CAN'T DO T-THIS! You c-can't… _My body is finally given the opportunity to move, and I sink to my knees, not wishing to go see what's left of her._

 _Just as everything slowly fades from my awareness, I hear laughter. Heinous laughter of one person sick enough to do something like this._

 _Eggman._

Cold sweat clings to my fur as I bolt upright, my stomach churning violently as I make haste to escape the confines of the bed. Rushing to my bathroom once I realize I'm back home, I fall onto my knees in front of the porcelain toilet and upchuck harshly, the lack of food in my stomach making it feel worse.

When the convulsions finally stop, my body sags in front of the toilet, a silent river of tears streaming over my flushed cheeks. As soon as I can breathe normally, I wipe my face clear of the salty liquid and stand shakily on my feet. My voice echoes gently off the acoustic walls of the bathroom as I come to a decision. "He killed my little girl. Took her away from me. I'll make you pay, Eggman. You won't get away with it this time."

I solemnly click off the lights, shutting the door behind me, and climb back into bed with a heavy heart, idly wishing for the comfort of Shadow's arms around me. I clutch the comforter near my face tightly in my despair. When Shadow does return sometime later, I don't acknowledge him. I just let him climb into bed and hold me tightly as he drifts into slumber. It is the warmth I was seeking, so I fall into it willingly, clutching at his hands over my stomach.

~XxX~

I don't know when I managed to fall back asleep. I just know that I spent maybe hours obsessing over how I would make Eggman pay. He's the cause of all the horrible things that have ever happened in my life. It's time to put an end to it. No matter what it takes.

The room is bright with golden sunlight, letting me know it's sometime in the morning. Shadow's no longer beside me, and I have to wonder what could possibly be so important that he's not here when I wake up. I feel like I haven't talked to him in ages, especially about…

I heave a sigh and get out of bed, wanting a shower before I set out to implement my plans. Upon entering my porcelain and light blue-highlighted bathroom, I immediately notice my reflection. My once-vibrant cobalt fur is now limp and dull, saturated with oily defeat. My eyes are practically lifeless, making it hard for me to even want to look at myself any longer in the reflective glass.

Hurrying to remove my articles of clothing, I hop in the shower, scrubbing vigorously to get all the dirt and grim and _loss_ off of my skin. I don't even acknowledge the tears that mingle with the water that courses over my face.

Walking back in my room in search of clean clothing, I spot Shadow sitting on the bed, facing me with a consoling look. On the bedside table is a plate of food and a bottle of… pills?

Approaching him slowly, I greet him with a soft, "Morning."

He stands and wraps his arms around me in a gentle embrace, mumbling, "Morning," in my ear closest to his lips. I willingly accept his hold, allowing him to keep me together with the strength of his arms alone. When we finally part, he pulls me into place next to him on the bed, letting me lean against him if I need to, which I gladly do.

"I brought you fresh breakfast when I noticed you didn't eat anything last night," he explains while handing me a plate of Chili Dogs.

I take it thankfully, as I do feel a little hungry, but only so much. My appetite isn't really with me right now. My green eyes lock on the bottle of pills, which sit so innocently on my soft brown wooden table. "What's with the pills?"

He picks them up easily and shows them to me as he explains. "They're antibiotics. Dr. Flo said you would need to take them for a week to prevent infection after your surgery." Every word he says is so carefully spoken, as if, to him, thinking about the situation makes him volatile. I can even see his hand shaking as he grasps the bottle.

The very thought of taking those pills is repulsive to me. I don't want anything those doctors gave to me. They've done more than enough, in my opinion. "I'm not taking them," I tell him curtly, taking a bite of my chili-smothered hot dog right after.

He exhales and looks at me with exasperation, although I can see the understanding gleaming deeply in his eyes as well. "They're to help you, even if you don't think so. I don't want you to get sick or anything. Too bad you're not like me, who has the Ultimate defenses against such inferior things like infections and diseases," he adds to try and lighten my mood—which I highly appreciate and show by giving him a small curve of my lips—but it still doesn't change my mind, and he knows this.

I reach across him to get the drink that's also sitting on the table when he takes it and hands it to me simply, avoiding eye contact as he does so. _Odd_. I shrug it off and take a sip, my ears twitching in realization immediately afterwards. It's a strong soda, but nothing can really hide the slight chalky taste of a pill being dissolved into it.

 _He knows me too well. He already knew I wouldn't take the pill, so he slipped it into my drink._ I have half a mind to yell at him about forcing this medicine on me, but… he's just doing this for me. If he didn't love me or if he were anyone else—besides Tails—I wouldn't let this slide. I finish my drink diligently then make sure to look into his eyes and note the guilt swimming in his crimson depths. I'm pretty certain he knows I know what he's done and it makes him feel horrible, which is why he stands abruptly to create a distance between us.

"I need to go do something, hedgehog. It won't be long. It's just… important that I know. I'll be back soon," he explains as his reason for leaving before his fingers grasp my chin, lifting it up so that he can connect our lips together gently as if to convey his regret for his actions.

I don't like that he left. I'm not really upset that he went behind my back like that. Honestly. But this does allow me an opportunity to enact my plans. Quickly finishing his hard-worked-on breakfast, I head downstairs in hopes of figuring out that madman's location.

His time left living is quickly running out.

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Next chapter's on Monday :)


	2. To Embrace The Hand Of Vengeance

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. They all belong to SEGA.

The story, however, belongs to me.

Story Beta Read by: Pepper1622

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 **~2~**

 **-To Embrace The Hand Of Vengeance-**

He's so utterly broken. Just looking at him is enough to make me regret ever getting involved in his life. If there was anything I could do, _anything_ , I would do it, just to see the life shine back in his eyes.

My heavy shoes crunch through the grass and dirt as I make my way to the first destination I encountered when arriving in Emerald Hill Zone. The area still looks battered, but most of the metal has been removed, and most of the Mobians are focused on rebuilding the original structures and buildings here.

He was so oddly compliant and simply let me get away with putting that pill in his drink. I expected a fight to break out, as that is his character, but he just… allowed it. I don't know how to handle this. I don't wish to treat him as fragile glass, like he'll break at the slightest touch or words. I also don't want to treat the situation like it didn't happen, because it _did._ The only thing I can think of doing is just being there for him and dealing with things as they come up.

A looming shadow dictates that I look up and notice the familiar large russet building of the Emerald Hill Library in front of me. My feet apparently moved me here while my mind was otherwise occupied. The inside is exactly the same, with ample light for reading, cool air conditioning to freshen me from the outside heat, and a plethora of books for the absorbent mind.

Quickly retracing my steps, I head to the shelf where I know the book was located. No one except for the female rabbit librarian is here, so the preying eyes of observers is nothing I have to worry about. My fingers trace the bindings of the books slowly until I catch the words _A Complete Study on the Beings of Mobius._

With a heavy heart I pull it from the bookshelf and take it to a random empty table. Swiftly moving to the _Dominate/Submissive Pairing_ subheading, I seek out the mating habits and begin reading over things I no longer find embarrassing or repulsive, trying to figure out where the vital piece of information is hidden.

I finally see where I last left off, remembering how I once thought claiming Sonic in such a way was completely animalistic. " _When the Dominate takes his Submissive, he usually leaves a bite mark of claim that allows a bit of the pair's Chaos essences to mix, as well as the opportunity for reproduction to occur. Since the two are males, being able to reproduce is normally not a possibility, but a unique mutation in the gene of a born submissive allows for him to carry children, but only once."_

I stop reading there in absolute incredulity. The same sentence. The very same sentence I stopped reading on is the one that would have prevented this whole situation. I stare at my hands in disgust and guilt, unbelieving of the fact that I could do such a thing. I used to be so diligent aboard the ARK, never letting something go unfinished, but a bit of uneasiness led me to being completely ignorant about something so vital, so _important_.

I slam the book closed in silent fury, walking out of the library, uncaring that I left it out of place. Sonic shouldn't even be with someone like me. I'm supposed to take care of him, make his life easier, and what do I do? I unknowingly impregnate him, resulting in the baby's untimely death due to being unaware of said fact.

When I tell him the truth and he leaves me, I won't blame or fight him, no matter how much it'll hurt. I deserve nothing less.

I traverse through the summer heat back to his place, ready for the confrontation and the inevitable. I guess I'll have to believe in that old saying: "'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. _"_

I enter the unique house, sensing the energies of only three people. _Hmm. Maybe Rouge left, too?_ The snoozing albino bat on the couch causes a smidgen of worry to rise in me. _Okay, so maybe the kitsune stepped out?_ I head upstairs, hoping to see Sonic still in his room waiting for me, only to see an empty bed in greeting.

I zip down the two flights of stairs in a matter of seconds. Tails and Cosmo look up, startled at my abrupt appearance. Not caring about their surprise, I cut straight to the chase, feeling my midnight fur begin to stand on end at my agitation. "Where's Sonic?"

Tails looks confused before the beginning of horror grows in his eyes. "Oh, no…"

Well, it seems like that confrontation will have to wait until after I save his furry blue tail again.

~XxoOoxX~

Tails is alone in his workshop when I arrive, which is good because I need him to be by himself when I preform a bit of… manipulation.

"Hey, 'lil buddy! What are you doing down here?" I ask with as much effervescence as I can muster.

His ears perk as he startles, the tips of his tails flicking in subtle anxiousness before he settles down upon realizing it's only me. "Uh, nothing much. Just tuning up the Tornado. How, um, are you?" His crystal blue eyes show caution when he asks this, as if afraid to set me off.

I brush his question aside and answer normally, wanting him to feel at ease when I start questioning him. "I'm okay. Still a bit down after yesterday…" I lower my gaze for added affect, drawing from the real turmoil inside of me to make it more believable. I get the feeling that he might know what I'm talking about. There's no way he and the others would've let Shadow go without telling them what happened to me.

Doesn't mean I wish to talk about it with my little brother right now.

"I, uh, wanted to talk to you about that, actually. I'm _really_ sorry about what happened to you, Sonic. You didn't deserve it," he tells me sincerely with sympathy in his innocent blue eyes.

I feel my heart twinge as I look down, offering him a chance to embrace me in comfort. I hug him tightly and say the only thing that I can, "Yeah, me too."

I pull away a short time after, my heart not wanting to dwell on the pain any longer. Besides, I need to get a move on. Who knows how long Shadow will be gone. Thinking of any details I can possibly use to get him to start divulging the needed information, I ask a simple question first. "Hey, I noticed Knuckles was missing from our little group. Where'd he run off to?"

Tails looks confused for a second before he gives me his answer. "Hmm? Oh, he went back up to the island. Even though Eggman's being held in Westside Island Penitentiary, he still wants to keep the Master Emerald under a watchful eye."

Inwardly I smirk in satisfaction, not even realizing it would be that easy to get the information out of him. Outwardly, I nod then give him a side hug to keep up appearances. "Same old Knucklehead. I'm pretty sure if Rouge wasn't around, he'd be practically glued to that thing. Hey, uh, I think I'm gonna go back upstairs and wait for Shadow now, okay? I'll see you later," I say after stealthily extracting myself from the area in order to head up the stairs.

He gives me an assessing look before nodding slowly. "Uh, okay?"

Once out of sight, I quickly dash to the front door, wary of Cosmo in the kitchen. Upon opening the door silently, I rush outside, disappearing with the wind. I know exactly where that bastard is. It's time to make him pay.

Westside Island Penitentiary is located just off the coast of the island on a little piece of land of its own, not too far from here. I don't have a plane, but if I run fast enough I can travel on water easily enough. The sun's rays do nothing to enhance my mood as it warms my blue fur. The only emotions stirring inside me are anger and sadness. Even the sight of miles of water does nothing to deter me from my current course.

My feet become a blur, and the grass beneath me soon turns into nothing but a crystal blue bottomless wet mass. Splashes from my shoes hitting the water continuously moisten my fur, turning it into a darker-colored hue as well as chilling my skin to an unpleasant temperature.

The ominous fortified structure in the distance is a welcoming sight when shivers begin to wrack my form. Hoping that they don't just outright attack at my unexpected visit, I finally set foot on the cemented ground the place is structured on and see sentries approaching with weapons drawn.

I hold my hands up and offer a placating smile, knowing once they see that I'm the Hero of Mobius they'll be a bit more accommodating. As soon as they're close enough to see who I am, they lower their weapons and show bright smiles like every fan I've ever encountered. _This will be easy._

"S-Sonic, what are you doing here?" the male lion asks, his gun already placed back in his holster as a sign of trust.

I lower my hands and place one on my hip in a cocky pose, going through the motions so that they won't be suspicious. "Nothing much. I was just hoping I could see Dr. Eggman for a little bit. Needed to speak with him for a minute," I explain easily, subtly suggesting that the idea isn't one they should be worried about.

At the mention of the evil genius' name, the two Mobians' faces become hard with anger, their words a little less friendly than before. "He's in the highest level of security. I don't think we can do that, Sonic," the male cheetah grunts.

Turning on the persuasion, I give them a sensual smile and look at them through lidded eyes. "Come on… This is important. Can you do this for me…?" I use a charm I had no idea I had until I met Shadow, and, going by the flustered looks on their faces, it appears to be working.

Good thing they don't appear to have found their Chaos Bound, otherwise that wouldn't have been so easy.

"S-sure thing. Just follow me," the cheetah agrees before the lion steps in and says in a more forceful tone, "No, follow _me_. I'll lead you right to him."

I hide a triumphant smile under my hand and follow the lion swiftly, leaving the cheetah behind to sulk in defeat. The inner workings of this place are like a maze, only known by those who've worked here for a long time. It seems like forever until we finally reach a silver metal-reinforced door locked with a special type of key. The lion turns to me with a flirty smile that does absolutely nothing for me, my only focus on the goal that's so closely within reach…

"Well, here we are. He's sealed tight inside there, and it's soundproofed, so we don't have to hear his cries of revenge and whatnot."

I smile and walk up to him, slowly running one of my hands up his chest to keep him distracted while I get the last item I need…

"Thanks, _big guy_. I really needed to have this visit…" I tell him when I step back, hiding the acquired item behind my back.

He nods dazedly and begins to open the door for me as he speaks, flustered, "I'll just be outside. Knock when you're ready to leave."

I give him a wink and quickly walk in, satisfied when the sound of the door closing behind me reaches my perked ears.

Eggman is strapped to a steel chair in chains, unbeknownst to me in a similar position to the one his grandfather took after he was captured on ARK. He looks up at me in surprise before his disgusting laughter fills the air.

"Ha! Should have known you would show up eventually. What do you want to say to me, pest? Wishing to gloat about how happy you are now that you don't have a villain whose plans you can ruin?" he snaps bitterly.

I growl angrily, feeling tears attempt to form in my eyes as my face hardens in fury at his effort to play dumb. "How dare you! Acting like you don't know what you did to me!"

He smirks at my angered response, chuckling sadistically. "And what is it that I did to you, hedgehog?"

I whip out the sleek silver gun and point it directly at his cranium, rage and grief clouding my mind as tears begin to stream down my cheeks. "You know _exactly_ what you did!"

He's stunned by the weapon's appearance but shrugs it off carelessly with a smile. "Look who's joined the dark side."

Every word that comes out of that damn mouth of his makes me want to scream uncontrollably. Just being in such close proximity to him is twisting me up violently on the inside, as waves of agony, fury, and sorrow rampage through my vulnerable core, almost certainly beginning to feel something stir sluggishly inside me in response. _"Damn you, Eggman!_ When did you become like this? Willing to kill, to completely _destroy_ lives without as much as a second thought! You didn't used to be like this! What changed?" I demand heatedly, giving a sniff as hot tears continue to track my muzzle.

He stares at me seriously, speaking in a sinister voice as his explanation comes forth. "When you've failed over and over for years to the same blue pest, you're bound to become a little _unhinged_ after a while. What really drove me over the edge is how you'd simply smile and laugh at my defeat, saying a condescending, 'Better luck next time,' like it was all just a game. Well, my luck was much better this time, now wasn't it? Alas, I still lost, which begs the question: Why you are here exactly…?"

Finally through with his mind games, I hold the gun straight, placing my finger on the trigger as I scream through my tears, _"You killed my baby!"_

He stares at me, confusion clear in his expression. "I did no such thing."

" _Liar!_ You had that robot punch me not only so you could capture me, but to kill my baby, too!"

He chuckles coldheartedly at my expense. "You were pregnant? So that's what that blood was… This is rich! I guess you understand the pain of loss that I feel every time you destroy my hard-worked-on plans."

Darting forwards so that there's less than a foot away from him and my gun, I spit in pure rage, "You know _nothing_ of my pain! Nothing of what it means to actually _lose_ something so precious! This is all your fault, you sick son of a bitch!"

Not in the least intimidated by my presence—or more importantly the gun in my hand—his response is casual, his words like the poison of a snake as they seep into my brain like venom. "My fault? How so? I don't believe I was the one that got themselves pregnant and was ignorant enough to not know of it. Now, if you ask me, I'd have to say it was your own fault for the situation you're in."

I roll my eyes at his stupidity. "How do you figure that?"

"Well, isn't it obvious? You are the one who, as I said before, got yourself pregnant. From what I saw, Shadow tried to fight you off like a bad cold, but you being _you_ wouldn't let him. You pushed and you pushed until that mating season came, and, well… you know the rest," he explains quite clearly, painting a simple picture out for me to see.

The tiniest twinges of doubt begin to form in my head the more and more I think of it. I shouldn't buy into his words, but… I did go after Shadow even though he kept warning me that being together would be a bad idea. But I kept at him until I got what I wanted like I always do, and look where that ended up.

 _It's not true, right? I didn't kill my little baby?_ My dream comes to mind, and with a sick realization I understand what it truly meant. I let it happen. I stood there while she cried out for me and let that robot end her life. With a broken sob, I stagger back and let the hand holding the gun drop limply to my side. Sucking in a shuddering breath, I cry wretchedly, "I-it's true. It's my fault! M-my fault!"

Pain so crippling surges through me with each breath I take, forcing me to sink onto my knees and sob into my hands. _"I did this! I DID THIS!"_ I scream as the trauma overwhelms me like a smog of never ending desolation, beginning to twist something violently inside me, something I can't seem to control.

"Good grief, I knew breaking you would be fun, but all the tears are starting to get on my nerves," I vaguely hear my nemesis say over my heart-wrenching cries. I feel so cold and empty, my heat twinging in heartbreak. This pain is the least I deserve for what I have done.

Just as I begin to feel the strange surge inside of me rise, it fizzles out the moment I sense the Chaos energy that floods the room for a moment as a figure appears. His deep, velvety voice is all I need to hear to know who it is. My body practically curls up in fear at the thought of what he'll think once he realizes the truth. _I-I don't want to lose you, too._

"Sonic! What's wrong?" The concern in his voice is obvious to me as his hands carefully pull me up into his arms with care.

Looking at him miserably, I barely manage a word through my sobs, "I-I…"

Shushing me and wiping the tears from my eyes lovingly—something I don't deserve at all—he murmurs in a soothing tone, "It's okay, hedgehog. I'll get you out of here."

"Good, because his blubbering is giving me a headache," the human in the room mutters insensitively, earning a ferocious snarl from Shadow.

" _Quiet, you!_ I'll deal with you in a moment," he informs the Doctor threateningly before turning back to me and speaking in a much calmer tone. "Do you think you can Chaos Control out of here? I'll be there in no time, okay?"

I shake my head weakly as I sniffle, feeling in no way in control of the power inside of me. He sighs at this and takes out the white Emerald, at the same time slipping the gun from my limp grasp. "Okay, then, I guess I can attempt to send you there alone. It shouldn't be too difficult to project the energy onto you whilst keeping myself in place. Don't worry about anything."

I nod slowly in agreement, not willing to argue against him in hopes of keeping on his good side. It's only seconds before the small prison cell dissolves into my bedroom, allowing me to promptly collapse into a broken mess, a former shell of myself.

~XxoOoxX~

With my mate gone from the room, I hold the gun firmly in my hand with practiced ease and turn slowly to face the Doctor directly. With a slow, sinister smirk, I ask rhetorically with barely controlled rage, "Do you know what you've just done?"

"What? Get my revenge?" he answers anyway, resulting in my steady aim at his round head.

"I bet that's what you've wanted all along, of course. To destroy him completely on the inside. He unfortunately had to come here in such a vulnerable state, otherwise you'd still be the same pathetic failure you've always been," I comment while gesturing in a cavalier fashion, never once wavering the hand holding the .50 Caliber pistol.

He growls under his breath and attempts a barb in my direction, although nothing he says to me can possibly hurt more than what he did to my Sonic. "I heard your kid was killed prematurely. Will I be invited to its funeral?"

I laugh menacingly, cocking the gun in preparation. "You're a real sick bastard, you know that? Nothing at all like your grandfather." I see him shrug as much as he can in the chains keeping him in place before I knock him off his high horse with some insight. "Just so you know… I can be a sick bastard when I want to be, too."

This shuts him up and allows him to feel the presence of death that's been in this room since the moment Sonic disappeared. Giving him a wicked smirk, I let him in on a little secret. "You know, Sonic didn't want me to kill you before because he didn't want any blood on my hands from your justified murder."

Quicker than the eye can blink, I pull the trigger, sending a bullet straight through his skull, brain matter and blood splattering across the wall behind him as a result. His body jolts violently for only a moment before sagging as death claims him rightfully.

I look at the gun in my hand nonchalantly as I finish speaking, not in the least bothered by the dead corpse sitting in the room with me. "Too bad my hands are already stained with the stuff." Placing the gun in my head quills temporarily until I can find a safe place to keep it, I Chaos Control from the room, completely unprepared for the Mobian waiting for me.

* * *

I hope that was satisfying for you all... :3

See ya next week!


	3. Steps To Recovery

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. They all belong to SEGA.

The story, however, belongs to me.

Story Beta Read by: Pepper1622

* * *

 **~3~**

 **-Steps To Recovery-**

The azure form on the bed looks completely lifeless as he stares up at the ceiling; the occasional tear trailing down his cheeks is the only sign of life he displays. I bring my wrist towards my mouth so that I can give the kitsune a quick message. "I've gotten him out. You can come back now." Not waiting for a response, I cut the link and take off the bright orange communicator, placing it on the nightstand as I take a seat next to my Chaos Bound.

Tails had explained earlier that Sonic seemed a bit odd when he visited him in the workshop, but he didn't think much of it until I told him the hedgehog was missing. Quickly realizing that Sonic must have went after Eggman, because according to the kit he left in a hurry after he mentioned his whereabouts, the two of us flew to the island, because I clearly had no idea of its location. I'm lucky enough to be so tied to Sonic; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to Chaos Control to his side once we were over the building.

I lightly caress his face in an attempt to get him to focus. "Sonic, look at me. Focus…"

He inhales sharply, staring at me in anguish and guilt as sorrow in the form of words begin to spill from his mouth. "I threatened to kill a guy, Shadow! _KILL!_ That's not like me! I'm letting this all get to my head—!" His hands fly up to grasp his cranium in frenzied distress as his eyes take on a wild look. "If I had went through with it…. He's… he's not even the one responsible for it. I did it, Shadow. I'm the cause of our baby's death. _Me._ Forgive me… please, forgive me."

I exhale weakly as I lean my forehead against my hurting mate, taking his hands away from his slightly abused quills as I try to explain to him how wrong he's got things. "You never would've went through with it in the first place, hedgehog. It's not in your nature. Blue one … you should know that anything the Doctor says is nothing but a coward's way of manipulation. None of this is your fault." I make sure to stare directly into his pained emeralds as I speak my next words delicately. "I would never blame you for this. If anyone's at fault, it's me."

He curls up slightly onto his side, turning his face away from me in a show of passiveness. "No, it isn't, but it doesn't really matter either way. It's over."

Grasping his hand tightly, I try another tactic that I hope gets him to truly understand my point on the matter. I don't like that he was made to believe such lies over such a devastating loss, and I'll do whatever I can to protect him from any more harm—even if it's from himself.

"We lost our baby," I start off slowly, watching as his eyes begin to water despite his best efforts when I continue. "We're hurting right now, but think about this. Would he or she want us to be tearing ourselves up to the point of no return? He or she is up there right now watching over us, and I'm pretty sure he or she would be pretty upset to see you so sad," I explain as I wipe a few stray tears from his cheeks.

I see an inner battle form in his watery orbs before he finally responds. "R-really?" he asks quietly. His entire countenance is so fragile right now that he can break with the slightest touch.

"Yes. I'm pretty sure. My dear friend Maria is most likely with him or her right now, making sure to keep him or her safe and happy," I add, hoping that this really is the case as well.

His arms are warm around my neck as he embraces me tightly and whispers wearily in my ear, "What do we do now?"

Rubbing his back soothingly, I respond with the only answer that I know: "We find a way to move on."

~XxX~

With a sigh, I rub my gloved hand over my face as I feel stress settle into my bones that I never thought could exist before. Rouge sits on the same couch as me, while Cosmo and Tails occupy the loveseat, each of them waiting for an explanation to Sonic's behavior today.

"He's reeling. The loss of our child is a lot harder on him, as one would imagine. Sonic tried to go after the Doctor in revenge, but Eggman turned the tables on him. He has Sonic believing he's the cause for the baby's death now, and I just… don't know what to do," I explain while bowing my head into the palms of my hands.

"I hope you made him pay, Shadow. Nobody deserves what Sonic's going through," my winged friend comments with venom in her words, furious at the evil scientist's continued malicious acts.

"Oh, I did…" I trail off ominously, not wanting to say exactly what occurred in front of the two kids.

Tails still seems to shiver anyway, as if knowing exactly what I did.

"I really hope Sonic feels better eventually. We'll do anything we can to help him," Cosmo offers with a hopeful smile over her mate's worried reaction.

I look around, gratefulness appearing vaguely in my crimson eyes even if the emotion is rather strong inwardly. "Thank you. I greatly appreciate it."

~XxX~

It's early evening now as I lean back against the headboard of Sonic's bed. The blue hedgehog rests soundly next to me as I rub my hand through his curved spikes absentmindedly. I managed to get him to eat the bowl of hearty stew Tails and Cosmo prepared for him before he promptly drifted to sleep under my caring hands.

I'm relieved to note that no nightmares plague him after such an overtaxing day. Just as the sun's rays turn a darker orange, casting long streaks across room's floor, my enhanced hearing picks up the banging open of the front door followed by a shrill-sounding voice.

Sonic begins to stir, but I soothe him back to sleep by rubbing circles on his lower back. As soon as I'm assured he won't wake up, I get out of bed and head for the door, listening to the calls the female makes. It's not Rouge—she left not long after our talk earlier, assuring me that if we ever need help, just to call and ask—so I have to wonder who this might be.

"Hello? Anybody home? Guess who just got back from a romantic impromptu vacation of the abroad kind!" _Guess who my number one annoyance just became?_

As I walk down the stairs, I see her in clear detail: a furry pink hedgehog, all bright and shining like some effervescent kid hopped up on sugar. Yes, a definite annoyance. Next to her I note a surprisingly familiar-looking hedgehog—familiar in that he looks like my blue one, except I can tell from just one glimpse in his crystal blue gleaming eyes that they're nothing alike.

The hyper ball of sunshine finally acknowledges my presence when my feet touch the bottom floor with a surprising amount of horror. She steps back and points a finger in my direction in accusation, her eyes like daggers as they glare at me in hostility. " _You!_ You're the one I saw at the shopping district that day with Sonic! I told him to stay away from you, you _creep_!"

 _Ouch._ Sarcasm swirls in my mind as I outwardly give a roll to my eyes. Giving her a smirk, I lower my hand to the Mark on my stomach, revealing it as I comment, "I'm afraid it's a bit too late for that."

She and that green-furred lookalike both observe my Bound Mark; only the pink one seems to pale at its sight. "No… that's impossible! _You're_ his Chaos Bound?"

I straighten out my fur and cross my arms nonchalantly while answering in a bored manner, "It appears to be that way."

"How could he get stuck with such a—a weirdo like _you_ ," she huffs in disdain, turning her nose up at me as she steps closer to who I can only assume is her Chaos Bound.

The green one wraps an arm around her and chides in a placating manner, "Rose, you don't even know the guy. He seems pretty cool to me." I can see his eyes hold a sort of respect in them towards me, although I don't know where it stems from.

I don't really need him trying to defend me, as her words are nothing but childish barbs, but I do appreciate his attempts. Unfortunately for him, though, Rose became dissatisfied with him the moment he decided to stick up for me.

"Ohh, whatever! I didn't come here to talk to you, anyway. I wanted to see my actual friends and tell them about our trip to the land not too far off from the island. We experienced so much there, and I'm sure Sonic and Tails will want to hear all about it," she enlightens me with a slight sneer.

 _Hmm. So that explains a lot._ I was curious as to how she was friends with Sonic and yet offered no help during the last crisis. She wasn't on the island to even know such things occurred. Deciding to not fill her in on the latest happenings, I instead query her, wanting to see just how observant she is. "So tell me, pink one, have you noticed anything strange about Emerald Hill since you've returned?"

Surprise graces her forest green eyes before that defiant challenge returns. "Yeah, and? What's that have to do with anything? And my name is not 'pink one'—it's Amy!"

Before I can groan aloud at her ridiculous behavior, her counterpart answers as if to make up for her way of acting. "Yeah, it looks like a tsunami hit the place. We were gonna ask the guys about it."

I nod, feeling grateful that at least one of them has the common sense to take things seriously, when dual sets of footsteps coming up from the workshop reach my ears. Amy rushes to get a view of the arriving people, her want to be away from me quite clear—not that I mind.

The moment Cosmo and Tails reach the landing, she transforms back into that bubbly ball of sunshine, dashing to hug the smiling plant-like girl who greets her in kind. I can see the tired smile on Tails' face and feel a sense of understanding as well as a mental exhaustion begin to creep up on me at the sight.

"We would've come up sooner, but I find it helpful to get lost in my inventions than to dwell on my worry for Sonic…" the kitsune explains with a weary rub to the back of his head.

Amy pulls back from her excited babble with Cosmo at those words in order to stare at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Here we go." The near-identical twin to my mate sighs into his hand.

The orange fox and soft-spoken girl share a worried look before he responds, "Well, you see…"

Not wishing to be a part of the shouting and overdramatic show this Rose girl is sure to make it, I begin to make my way back up the stairs.

"Hey, where do you think you're going? I'm talking to you! I want to see Sonic!" That last exclamation causes me to pause for a moment as I tell her in a calm, condescending manner, "Not a chance. He needs his rest right now."

With that I leave the chaos behind me and enter the room of my sleeping mate—or at least he was sleeping the last time I left him. The drowsiness is clear in his eyes as he stares at me from the bed, so he must have just woken up—probably from all of the loud noise sounding from downstairs.

"What's going on, Shads?" he asks almost incoherently, the slur in his words is so thick.

I quickly remove my shoes, socks, and gloves so that I can climb in next to him and gather him in my arms warmly. "Nothing. That Rose girl and her counterpart just arrived."

He nods and lays his head down on the white tuft on my chest, sighing as he answers sleepily, "Hmm. That explains it."

I rub my hands along his warm-furred sides, allowing myself to embrace the welcoming arms of slumber as I tell him quietly, "I left your brother and Cosmo to deal with her."

His chuckle is slow and sleepy, still a wonderful sound to hear. "That's not very nice, Shadow."

"You should know by now that I'm not a generally 'nice' person."

He shakes his head in protest, a wide yawn escaping him as he does so. "That's not true, and you know it. You're nice to Cosmo and Rouge and Tails… And you're nice to me…"

I can tell by his breathing that he's out like a light. My arms wrap more securely around him as I hold him tighter to me, my wish to protect and love him becoming nearly overwhelming with each breath I take. And that's how I stay for the rest of the night, holding onto him as if he's the most precious thing in the world to me, because… he is.

~XxoOxX~

Over the next week, things get a little better with each passing day. Although, Amy's presence is becoming tiresome. She feels guilty for having not been here to help out and absolutely dreadful for the loss of my child. Nothing but baked goods and tense smiles can be found every time I'm graced with her company, and I find myself spending more and more time with my lil' bro and Cosmo as a result—that is, if I'm not with Shadow.

Tails and Cosmo are actually pretty fun to be around… in a geeky/noobish kind of way. Watching their dynamic is entertaining, since Cosmo doesn't know a single thing about mechanics—like me—and yet she insists on trying to help Tails out, which he doesn't seem to mind. When things inevitably go wrong, he doesn't get upset, just chuckles kindly and shows her how to do the task properly with a warm smile. It's really endearing to watch at times.

My time with Shadow is spent differently. He'd pull me to the couch or bed or my bedroom windowsill, always making sure that my head is lying comfortably in his lap as he rubs behind my ears and tells me stories of adventures among the stars with a frail yet beautiful human girl. I can almost see the metallic halls of the ARK, everything sterilized, cold, and emotionless. The only thing that seems to brighten up the place is the time spent with Maria.

Whenever I would ask about the things GUN would have him do, he'd tense and just state that they made him go through lessons on combat, nothing more. I know, of course, that this isn't the complete truth, but until he feels comfortable enough to tell me what he went through, I'm forced to stay in the dark.

It was about four days into the week when I finally voiced my thoughts on my medicine-laced drinks. Shadow's always a bit antsy whenever breakfast time rolls around and I start swallowing my beverage. This time, though, I swish the cold liquid around in the glass gently before setting it down on the bedside table and looking up at Shadow, who's staring at me from his place across from me, leaning against the wall.

He stands up straighter at my obvious lack of consumption. The tensing of the muscles under his obsidian pelt is a sure sign of his readiness for battle—even if it's just a verbal one. Sighing, I grip the bed with my hands on either side of me, then cut straight to the chase. "Shads, I know what you've been doing."

I see him getting ready to explain, but I interrupt softly, hoping to convey my lack of ire towards him, "I'm not angry, Shadow. Really."

The uncertainty is clear in his form as he shifts his weight just slightly on his feet, his eyes never once meeting mine. "If you knew, then why did you allow me to deceive you like this?" His usual calm, low register is tinged with a deep sense of shame, filling me with remorse for having let him stew in such guilt for so long.

"I let you do it because… you love me, and you're only doing what's best for me." I stand so that I can walk and be in front of him, grasping his hands so that he'll finally look me in the eye. "I really don't want to take those pills, but they're supposed to help me, and I guess that's what's really important here. Besides, I was just being whiny and childish about it. Nothing new really," I add with a small laugh.

I wrap my arms around his waist and settle my body against his in comfort. "It's okay," I whisper soothingly. This is more than about just easing his feelings of regret. Although he hasn't shown it much, Shadow's hurting just as deeply over our loss as I am, and he's helped me so much. I want him to know that I'm here for him to lean on, too.

It takes a moment, but he returns my embrace gratefully, letting me know that he understands the double meaning of my words. The rest of that morning is spent with me drinking the laced beverage and small talk about nothing in particular, slowly working on the mend to the tattered wound of our loss.

~XxX~

The end of the week has arrived, and, with a final swallow of orange juice, I finally complete my medicine intake requirements. I feel a sense of satisfaction at this and turn to Shadow, who I'm quite positive shares in my feelings.

"This deserves a bit of celebration, don't you think?" he questions smoothly, taking my hand so that he can pull me up from my sitting position on my bed.

"Mmm… that depends. What type of celebration are we talking about?" I say as he begins to lead me out of the room.

A mischievous gleam shines in his eyes as he responds, "You'll see."

I feel a tad lighter with having time to think about everything, as well as the company of my friends to bring a bit of normalcy back into my life. I feel like there's only one problem remaining… and it's standing in the doorway of our house.

Cosmo has tried to talk to her, but as usual nothing seems to get through to Amy. I heave a sigh and look in Shadow's direction to see him wearing a look of disdain. The two really don't seem to get along—only on the basis of Amy feeling Shadow failed as my Bound to protect and keep me happy, and Shadow silently agreeing with her and displaying it as contempt for her.

I, of course, don't agree with them, but they can be pretty stubborn Mobians. Coming to a decision, I wordlessly get behind Shadow and guide him into the kitchen where Tails is diligently giving Cosmo cooking lessons. Shadow grumbles at my behavior but goes along with my wishes.

Now alone, I progress to my next destination in hopes of finally resolving things with Amy. Her smile is bright yet streaked with sorrow as she holds out a perfectly made strawberry-swirled cheesecake. I take it from her hands and move to place it on the living room table, sensing Amy following right behind me.

"Morning, Sonic."

I turn to look her seriously in the eyes as I grasp her shoulders gently, feeling her tense under my touch. "Look, Ames, this has got to stop. I'm not angry with you, I don't blame you, and you're still my friend. Do you understand?"

She nods slowly at my words, making me frown slightly. "Really? Then why are you doing this?"

Her brow furrows in the confusion that promptly displays in her words. "Doing what?"

With a sigh I take a step back and point to the baked cake for starters. "Making me cakes, pies, cookies, you name it, coming over all the time when it's not necessary… You do realize that Scourge hasn't been accompanying you on your visits recently, right?" I point out gingerly.

She looks stricken at my words and begins to stammer out excuses. "I… w-well, you see—it's j-just—"

Taking her into a warm hug, I begin to murmur comfortingly, "Amy, you don't have to be here all the time to prove you're still a good friend. I understand that you need to start focusing on your own life now. A terrible thing happened, yes, but you don't need to ruin your own life to make up for it. Just knowing that you'll be here as a friend when we need it is more than enough."

Her arms wrap tightly around me in rapt gratitude, the slight dampening of my fur a sure sign of her rising emotions. "Thank you, Sonic."

~XxX~

Afterwards Ames left, but not before saying good-bye to Tails and Cosmo and surprisingly Shadow—although she did say she'd be after him like a psycho out of hell if he did anything to hurt me. Now, though, I allow him to tug on my hand as we start running through the afternoon atmosphere. It seems like forever since I've really been outside or, hell, actually _run_.

The world outside is… beautiful. I look around at the glowing green grass from sunshine, to the never-ending sky dotted with white clouds here and there. The air is warm as it flows through my fur; I enjoy the freshness of it every time I breathe.

It's almost like I'm seeing the world for the first time again. I hadn't really realized I haven't been outdoors much since returning from the hospital. I move from my mate's side with a warm smile and begin to run around the Zone with a practiced ease.

The loops and jumps are all so exhilarating as I push to go faster and faster, having missed running with the wind without even knowing it. A blaze of heat flashes by me, and my emerald eyes focus on the figure just enough to see a challenging smirk that gets my competitive streak raring.

"You won't win that easily, Shads!" I call out, putting on a boost of speed in order to catch up. I can't help but think as I look at his dazzling crimsons that shine with a warm fire that he always knows how to bring a smile to face.

"You sure about that, blue one?" he retorts cockily as he again takes the lead.

Giving a playful growl, I use my knowledge of the area to my advantage and take a short detour that should get me just ahead of him. Unfortunately for Shadow, he went through the loop instead of on top of it, which is a plus for me. Using the spring pad located here, I take the top path and enjoy the higher altitude as I soar through the air and go through the almost-dizzying twists and turns of this path.

"This is great!" I shout to the wind when the world finally rights itself and I see the path where Shadow and I should intersect. The trees sway drastically when I pass them as I land on the pathway, hearing the swishing of Shadow's skates not too far behind me.

"Too bad, Shadow! Looks like I'm winning this one!" I shout teasingly, seeing the ending of the Zone not too far off. With a flourish I skid to a stop with a confident smirk on my face.

"Took you long enough, hedgehog," Shadow suddenly says as he gazes at me over his nose in a faux mocking manner.

I twist forward and backward repeatedly, trying to figure out what just happened before I point an accusing finger at him. "You cheated!" Before he can even retort, I tackle him to the ground, resulting in a wrestling match between the two of us. My boisterous laughs can be heard a good distance as we tumble and roll through the flower-speckled grass, finally coming to a stop when he pins me with my arms next to my head.

Giggles escape me as I stare up at Shadow's smiling eyes, the warmth in them filled with a growing relief. "You feeling better?" His voice is velvety and deep, always alluring to my ears.

My lips curve up with my response, my answer surprising to even me. "Yeah… I haven't felt this good in ages." And it's true. I feel revitalized. The loss of my child is still very much with me, but like Shadow said before, we have to find a way to move on.

"Well, good. I'm happy that helped you some…" His lips brush against mine with each word spoken, sending small shivers through my system, like sparks of electricity.

"Sh-Shadow," I whine impatiently before forcing our lips together in a dizzying heat of passion.

His chest vibrates with his laugh, one of his hands releasing mine in order to grasp my chin so that he can manipulate the kiss to his wishes. I allow him to do as he wants, loving his sense of control as he plunges his tongue into my awaiting mouth, our tongues rubbing and twisting together sensually.

My eyes are a bit hazy when he finally pulls back, a slow heat beginning to settle into my bones. I don't think I truly recognized how much I yearned for Shadow's touch. It's like a breath of fresh air, absolutely rejuvenating to my senses.

I quickly get a grasp on the hedgehog above me and pull him back in, tilting my head slightly so that our tongues can mesh and rub in a mind-fogging way. As things become more heated, my legs wrap around his waist, and I shift so that he now lies under me as I straddle him. I pull back slowly, looking into the heated gaze of my partner, lover, _my everything_ , and give him a seductive smirk before I lean back down and let the soft warmth of my lips graze across his neck slowly. My tongue comes out periodically to taste the delicious skin beneath fur below me, allowing my heated pants to fan across the wet area, sending shivers throughout his body.

The low rumbling in his chest that follows is music to my ears. I gasp and stifle a soft moan when his hands reach up and lightly scratch down my back slowly. _"Shads…"_ I hiss softly in bliss, bringing my lips to kiss and nip along his collarbone and down to his chest, the shock of white fur resulting in my instinctive nuzzling of the area; I make sure to leave a soft kiss there before I move on.

"Sonic… what are you…?" he questions with restrained passion, his hands almost unconsciously stroking and caressing my body in the most amazing ways… I love when he worships my body, but right now I want to do something for him. Unfortunately, when my lips reach the beautiful Bound Mark that blossoms under his fur, something strange happens.

The grass around us begins to grow wildly, forming a sort of barrier between us and the world, promptly ruining the mood. Standing up in surprise with Shadow not too far behind me, I manage to make out the culprits who adorn embarrassed smiles on their faces.

 _Well, that was good while it lasted._ A little disappointed at the missed opportunity, Shadow and I make our way through the ridiculously tall grass to my brother and his mate. Looking at them with a false reprimanding expression, I cross my arms and practically draw out, " _I'm waiting…"_

Cosmo immediately cracks. "It was his idea!"

Tails looks scandalized. _"What?"_

Without missing a beat, she continues in a flurry, a growing smile of mirth on her face at Tails' halfhearted protests. "He wanted us to follow you guys to see how you'd do on your first outing since last week."

Turning to Shadow, who wears a small smile on his face at their antics, I return it with a shake of my head before turning back to the two and tackling them gently into the grass for a tickle fest. "You two!" I shout teasingly as laughter and mischief begin to ensue. It takes only a few minutes for me to realize who's missing, and I turn to see him watching us with amusement in his eyes. Quickly catching him by surprise, I pull him down by his hand and bring him into our fun, not letting him exclude himself just because he believes himself to be "antisocial."

With all of us together like this, all seems right with the world for now.

* * *

Bet you guys thought I forgot all about Amy and Scourge. No, they were just meant for this sequel :3 Any intriguing thoughts so far on this story?


	4. Mending Is A Process

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. They all belong to SEGA.

The story, however, belongs to me.

Story Beta Read by: Pepper1622

* * *

 **~4~**

 **-Mending... Is A Process-**

It's late evening as I lie on my back on top of the roof. The panels beneath me are smooth and stiff, neither comfortable nor distressing to my reclining position. The sky above me is dark and filled with thick, gloomy clouds that roll across the sky, informing me that it'll probably start raining soon. For now, though, I enjoy what I can of the view of the crescent moon's vibrant white glow.

More time has passed—only a few days—and things feel like they're getting back to normal. Only something seems to keep prodding my mind. I thought for sure Eggman would've escaped by now. He is a genius, and getting out of a place like that seems like it wouldn't take him very long. Just the thought of him sends tendrils of grief throughout my body.

The sky above me reminds me of Shadow's words from before, about how our child is probably watching us up there and how he or she wouldn't want me to be so sad. I nod to myself at this and bring my hands from my behind my head to wipe at my formerly stinging eyes. He's right. I shouldn't be so sad; I was doing so well before.

I never used to give kids much thought beforehand, as I was too focused on taking care of Tails and defeating Eggman, the ever-present thought of finding my Chaos Bound never too far from my mind either. So the fact that I can't seem to shake this from my mind now is upsetting. Although I do remember this one time when I felt a feeling similar to this one…

I was only a kid myself then and had just found Tails a few months prior. Me being the good friend that I was, I hated seeing him get hurt because he was my friend and helped me give ol' Robuttnik what was coming to him. So I decided to try and find him a good home so that he'd be safe and away from harm. I ended up leaving him with his "real family" and it felt... horrible. Like I'd lost a very precious thing.

Of course, it was all just a trick, and I managed to get Tails back in no time, but I'll never forget the words he said to me that day. " _You're my mom, you're my dad, and you're my picket fence!"_ His words meant more to me than he could imagine. When I look at Tails, I see more than just my best friend—I see the little kit who I've raised and protected since I was nothing more than a kid myself.

I'm taken from my recollections and reminded of something I tried hard to forget as the large looming clouds above pass over the moon, bathing the world in blackness for a moment. It's almost like my dream, being so abruptly thrust into darkness. I haven't even talked to Shadow about it yet. I don't think I'd be able to get through five words without making myself sick.

" _Chaos…"_ I whimper quietly, sitting up so that I can bury my face into my arms wrapped around my knees, my body shuddering deeply with my suppressed cries. Why is all of this hitting me _now?_ I just came out here for a bit of fresh air and to enjoy the nighttime scenery. Now all I can think about is how that little girl was…

I stifle a cry as cold drops of water force me from my position, making the decision for me to head back inside. With a heavy sniffle, I jump down onto my windowsill, enter my room, and shut the frame behind me, so that the light rain glances off the glass with a light _pitter-patter_ sound.

When I turn around, I find Shadow staring at me from the doorway of the room, clear concern shining in the soft, glowing depths of his eyes. He doesn't ask, but I tell him anyway what's wrong. "I had a minor relapse, is all." I try to chuckle in an attempt to downplay the situation, but my laughs sound more like cries, so I stop as best I can, gratefully nestling into Shadow's warmth when he shuts the door and moves to embrace me.

Looking up at him through my teary vision, I ask desperately in a quiet voice, absolutely needing this from him, "Can you take the pain away? _Please_ , Shadow…"

Wordlessly, he connects our lips together and slowly guides me to the bed under the cover of darkness. Our clothes are discarded haphazardly across the floor by Shadow before he presses my body into the softy, cushion-y support of the bed. A blind heat begins to fog my mind as he touches, kisses, and caresses my body into oblivion. It's almost as if he's everywhere at once as he never stops moving, stroking my body until my senses go haywire.

I muffle every cry of passion, every whimper of love, being wary of the youngsters who also occupy this house. It becomes very difficult to stay silent when the heat of his tongue is involved; clenching the sheets between my fists does nothing to relieve the tension. My breath leaves me as my back arches shortly after, the will to keep quiet becoming shaky with every movement between us.

The only sound heard is the tapping of rain against the window, the heavy exhales of our breaths, and, finally, my passionate moans when it becomes impossible to hold them in any longer. It's positively blazing between us as our passion builds, his touch like flames licking at the skin beneath my sweat-matted fur. Lips press and glide smoothly along mine, his wet muscle roughly delving into my depths, alighting fireworks in my vision.

Shadow makes sure to caress and love me in ways that send my senses in a frenzy, my entire frame going wild as ecstasy consumes me. Pain doesn't reach me in this state, only my want, _my need_ , for the love of my life working my body to its highest rapture.

Just when I can't breathe from the screaming, can't think from the overwhelming sexual bliss, things come to a rather riotous end. Incoherent babble tumbles from my lips as we crash and plunge our way through clouds of absolute _heaven_. Chaos, Shadow doesn't stop: He wrings every last drop of carnal gratification dry until we finally collapse in a sea of lethargy, spent.

In near seconds our bodies are in the land of dreams, almost soundless raps upon the window from the cold rain the only thing breaking the silence of the room.

~XxX~

The sun shines brightly today, like a rebirth. The start of something new draws near. I can almost sense it in my blood. I feel so relieved and relaxed after last night, I can barely find the want to get out of bed. The only thing that so much as causes me to twitch is the persistent soft press of lips against mine.

"Morning, sleepyhead," his deep, velvety voice caresses my ears in greeting.

I steal one last kiss before I open my eyes drowsily and respond with a heavy satisfaction, "Yes… it's a very good morning."

He chuckles suggestively at my comment, cupping a hand over my cheek in order to rub it fondly when I flush. "I knew you'd say something along those lines… Sonic, there was something I actually wanted to talk to you about."

I arch an eyebrow at the sudden change in demeanor and raise my hand to grasp the one upon my face. "Okay, what is it, Shads?" I ask, wanting to know what could be so serious. A sudden thought of what it might be forms in my mind, making me feel a bit queasy. _If he asks what happened with me last night, I don't think I'll be able to tell him._

He shushes me gently and gets my focus back on him. "It has nothing to do with anything bad. Well, at least I don't believe it is." I can sense the hidden anxiety lurking in his veins, bringing about my natural curiosity. My lips stay shut so that he can continue with his explanation.

Appreciation fills his eyes at my patience as he moves his muzzle to nuzzle mine. The words he speaks next are intense, oozing with hope. "I was thinking maybe you could… move into my place at Hill Top with me, and it could become our home…"

 _Our home…?_ My mind kicks into overdrive at the possibility, having never really considered it before. _Why haven't I considered it before?_ A fluffy orange twin-tailed fox comes to mind, and the reason why suddenly makes sense. I think I want to move in with Shadow—would _love_ to, actually—but I can't just leave my brother by himself. Can I? "T-that sounds amazing, but… what about Tails? I can't just leave him and Cosmo alone."

He pulls back to look into my eyes as he begins to try and persuade me, his want for me there desperate and strong. "I thought of that already. Eggman is… err, gone now, so you guys don't have to worry about a villain trying to take over the world. He and Cosmo are going to grow up, and they'll need the place to themselves, and if they do need anything we're just a Chaos Control away. What do you think?"

"I—uh…" I genuinely wish to, and his reasons sound perfect and well thought out—logical like I know him to be—but could I really just do that? At my continued hesitance, the blazing fire in his eyes begins to dim, and this results in my decision. "Okay."

He raises an eyebrow tentatively. "Really? You don't have to say so just to make me—"

"I'm not—well, I am—but I'm also doing it because I really want to. I'm just worried about my brother is all," I explain with a soft curve to my lips.

He leans forward to kiss my lips slowly before pulling back and saying, "You don't have to. Things will work out. I promise."

~XxX~

Shads and I make our way into the cozy kitchen, spotting Cosmo and Tails sitting at the table that occupies a small section of it. Their conversation stops abruptly when they see us, an awkward silence settling into the room before my little buddy breaks it. "Uh, good morning."

The embarrassed blush that begins to form on their faces makes me want to hide my face in mortification. _Oh, Chaos. Maybe getting our own place will be good for more than just allowing Tails and Cosmo to have their own space._

Shadow subtly rubs my lower back to ease me and at the same time nudge me to my seat at the table. I take my place just as Shadow returns the greeting. Even though I feel a little uncomfortable with them knowing what went on in my bedroom last night, I still rub Tails' head fondly and offer our plant-like friend a winning smile.

Shadow sets my plate of food before me as he sits next to me at the circular table. "Thanks," I murmur before delving into my meal of scrambled eggs, french toast, and sausage links. _I'm grateful to know people who are great with cooking._

"Sonic and I actually wanted to talk to you both about something." _And out the window my appetite goes._

I put my fork down in preparation for the talk, noting the young couple's focused attention.

"Sure, what did you want to talk about?" Cosmo asks curiously after finishing off her bowl of fruit salad.

"I've given it a lot of thought and spoke with Sonic about it this morning. I was thinking it would be best if Sonic and I moved in together in my home in Hill Top Zone." Short, sweet, and to the point. That's my Shadow for you.

Cosmo looks surprised, but Tails' look of shock is what bothers me the most. "Is this true, Sonic?" he inquires directly.

"Uh, yeah. I thought it was a good idea because… because, uhh…" Just staring into his cherubic eyes makes it that much more difficult for me to tell him that I'm leaving him, as if I'm completely okay with the thought of leaving him—something which will never be true. I'll always worry about him.

Shadow's strong hand grasps mine under the table, making it easier for me to continue on. "Well, I agreed because Shads and I need our own space, and I'm sure you guys don't want to hear stuff like last night all the time," I add in a joking manner as I ruffle Tails' bangs and look in Cosmo's direction with a playful smile. "You guys are gonna need a place of your own too, and, besides, Tails mostly ran this place anyway, so it's only right that he keeps it," I finish with a hint of sadness creeping into my tone, but I refuse to let it show.

"So this is really it, huh? Well, then I guess there's only one thing left to say… I'm gonna miss you, big bro." My always-so-mature-for-his-age brother makes a move to embrace me tightly, his tails behind him swishing slowly as he soaks in the warmth from his only family for the last time—at least for a little while.

I hold him tightly in return, finally coming to terms with having to let go—not completely, but enough so that he can spread his wings on his own without my assistance. "I'm not leaving you completely, ya know. If you ever need anything, we'll be here in a Sonic Second, and I'll try to visit whenever I can," I add optimistically when we finally pull back from the embrace.

He nods in understanding, making me feel better about the whole situation. My emerald eyes lock on Cosmo, and she seems to gather that I need to say something important to her. "Cosmo, I'm gonna need you to look out for him while I'm away, okay? I'm trusting you with this."

She nods in seriousness, those flowing green bangs of hers obscuring her blue eyes for a moment as she moves. "I promise, Sonic." She and Tails grasp hands, which soothes me. She locks eyes with me again before asking her next question: "Do you have a time in mind for when you guys are leaving?"

I open my mouth to respond, only to realize that I really don't know the answer. Shadow so kindly replies for me. "Well, I was thinking maybe today would be best."

" _Today?"_ three exclamations sound at once. Tails, Cosmo, and I look at each other in surprise before turning our accusing eyes back on the obsidian hedgehog in the room.

He seems nonplussed by our disbelief, the crimson of his eyes a calm, kindling flame. "I understand the strong emotional ties that lie here, but… I would really like to get started on a life with my mate now that all the danger has passed."

I can't help but smile warmly at his words, forgetting about the two pairs of observant blue eyes that spy my show of adoration.

"Well, I guess today really isn't that bad, but, Shadow, I want you to watch out for him for me, all right? He may get impatient, pester you about things for hours if he's really interested in it, or leave the place messy on occasion, but he's my only brother." I look to see Tails gazing in Shadow's directions with determination in his eyes. He makes me proud of him more and more every day.

Shadow stands from his seat as he makes his way over to the orange fox, placing his hand upon his shoulder in genuine honesty. "Of course, Tails."

Maybe Shadow's right. Things will be okay.

~XxX~

We take off in a run after breakfast, leaving behind the twin optimistic smiles and waves of our younger friends, the house behind us no longer being home. _I'm going to miss a lot about living in Emerald Hill, but I'm sure Hill Top will be just as satisfying_ , I concede while taking a look at the sleek obsidian red-streaked hedgehog skating alongside me.

Allowing my emerald eyes to linger on him, drawing his attention to my direction as a result, I request with a hint of a smirk, a flame of challenge alighting in my eyes, "How about we kick it up a notch? It'll make getting there a lot quicker."

He holds my gaze for a moment before a slow show of teeth reveals itself, his form disappearing in a golden blue-tinted blur shortly after leaving my ears ringing from the sonic boom. Never one to be outdone, my feet become nothing but a distorted image as I propel forward, shattering the sound barrier, and push past the wind.

A chuckle escapes me when I catch up with Shadow. Our journey through the grassy Zone is as swift and fluent as the warm gusts of air. The fresh air and sunny warmth is as revitalizing as ever as we do something only we can. Shads and I aren't making this a race per se, just a chance to let go and _run._

The aura surrounding each of us is surprisingly similar in color, a mixture of blue and gold. I'm so used to seeing my blue aura that the mixture of gold is a shock. I guess it's a result of our energies mixing.

Running around at the speed of sound gets us to the next Zone in mere minutes, and I decide to slow down a little so that I can take in a bit of the construction going on in Chemical Plant. Shadow was right when he said we Mobians are resilient. After years of surviving destruction from Eggman, the beings of this planet have learned to band together whenever the time is necessary and do amazing things like what I'm witnessing right now.

The once ruined city is slowly being torn down and replaced with houses of many a shape surrounding the plant in the center. That remains untouched; whether it be in memory of Tails and my battle against Eggman there remains to be known.

Soon it becomes apparent that our travels are anything but unnoticed when shouts from the many furry beings around start to sound. "H-hey! Look! It's Sonic! It's Sonic and that black hedgehog!"

I laugh a little at that as the cheers grow louder and turn my head to face Shadow. "Well, look at that. You're starting to get famous! Although black hedgehog isn't… really…" I trail off slowly when I realize just how tense my bio-hog is. "What's wrong, Shadow?"

His crimson eyes snap onto my moving body as I break him out of his concentration and words begin to spill out of his mouth like a fountain. "The people here don't seem alarmed by my presence, which means the authorities aren't after me. I know they have footage of the incident; leaving that behind was a mistake on my part, but the fact that they aren't after me is—"

"Shadow!"

He gives an expression one might give if he was caught revealing something he shouldn't. I demand in a soft, stern voice, "What do you mean the authorities aren't after you? What footage? Just what's going on?"

He huffs a sigh and grabs hold of my hand in order to keep me running beside him. "Well, I was just thinking about our encounter with the Doctor… There was obviously some type of security camera in the room. It _was_ a penitentiary. The fact that no one has bothered to show up to apprehend me is all that I was curious about," he simply explains.

 _There were cameras in there?_ Of course there were. I just wasn't thinking rationally enough to give a damn. Now, though, I fear what the public might think if they find out I tried to kill Eggman. The sudden smiling faces that pass by us in haste no longer feel all that welcoming.

My worry must be clear as I try to avoid looking at the practically worshiping Mobians because Shadow speaks up about it pretty quickly. "Sonic, don't worry about anything. I'm sure no one will fault you for wanting to get rid of that bastard, especially after all that he's done."

I slowly nod and look into his reasonable eyes before some of his earlier words become clear in my head. "Yeah, that's true, but I dragged you into it with me. You wouldn't even be on the footage if it weren't for me. You're not even really known here, and now people are going to start thinking negatively of you," I point out guiltily.

"Trust me, if people start thinking of me negatively, it won't be because I was just caught in that room on film." I arch an eyebrow at that, but he cuts me off as he continues, "Never mind. Let's not think of the Doctor anymore. He's gone and out of our lives for good now. We have far better things to concern ourselves with than that useless waste of space."

I admire Shadow's confidence that Eggman really is out of our lives for good. On the other hand, after having lived with his continued bouts of villainy, I will never feel truly at ease until he's gone for good. "You're right… Come on! If we keep it past the sound barrier, we should be able to get there by evening," I tell him with a renewed smile. I give a wave to the adoring fans and speed on ahead with Shads right on my tail.

~XxX~

After only making a small stop in the commercialized Casino Night Zone for lunch, my prediction was correct and we make it to the blue grass covered Zone just as the giant star in the sky sets in the horizon. Shadow and I stand in front of the hidden away cabin for a while, feeling the significance that hangs in the air.

"So this is it. Our home," I say aloud, a bit of nerves creeping into my tone as I look in Shadow's direction and admire the soft rays of moon light that highlight his dark pelt.

He nods firmly as he takes ahold of my hand, pulling me in the direction of the entrance. "Yes… ours." His hand squeezes mine and he opens the door to our new beginning, allowing me to see the tiny warm smile that graces his face as he does so.

* * *

This Friday is Christmas and my birthday is Thursday, I guess, so Happy Holidays everyone! I hope it's all special for you guys!

Next chapter is when the story starts to pick up, so look forward to it!


	5. A Darkness Emerges

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. They all belong to SEGA.

The story, however, belongs to me.

Story Beta Read by: Pepper1622

* * *

 **~5~**

 **-A Darkness Emerges-**

It takes a mere week of living with Shadow for me to start pestering him. I don't do it to be annoying or anything; it's just something I actually think should be attended to. " _Shads._ We need to go shopping." I'm draped on the drab couch of the living room, my head leaning over the armrest and my feet squarely on the cushions.

Shadow strides towards my direction from the kitchen and stops in front of the couch where I reside, crossing his arms over his chest as he gazes down at me with unamused eyes. "If you're going to have your feet on the couch, hedgehog, at least take off your shoes."

I roll my eyes halfheartedly and sit in a more dignified manner, having become used to Shads' more sanitary customs over the week. If I spill crumbs on the table, he appears; if I track dirt on the wooden floors, Shadow's there with a mop; if I so much as drip chili on the floor and attempt to hide it, he'll corner me eventually with his foot tapping knowingly.

He was never this proficient about cleanliness back at my old place, but I guess it's understandable. That wasn't really _his_ home. These encounters are never filled with anger or spite, though, as I really don't mean to be such a messy klutz. I usually get away with saying an apology and bestowing a sweet kiss to his lips; Shadow forgives me afterwards.

Our time together this week has been pretty amazing, in my opinion. Staying up for hours talking about nothing, any, and everything, having picnics and races in this Zone for lunch as we bask in nature, and when Shadow drags me to our bed some nights I don't have to worry about embarrassed faces in the morning due to my pleasured screams—which is a nice plus.

"Shadow, you're not paying _attention_ ," I whine cutely as I look up at my perfect mate.

His stance hardly changes; there's only the slightest twitch to one of his eyelids before he responds, "I heard your earlier statement, blue one. Why exactly would we need to go shopping?"

I sit up straight as I begin to gesture around slowly. "Well, for starters, have you looked around? It's a bit barren around here, ya know? We should maybe go out and get a few things. Make the place more our own, don't ya think?" I ask tentatively as I stand slowly and place myself against his warm body tantalizingly.

His heated stare travels along my body like heated flame before he takes my waist in his arm and nuzzles his face into my neck, slowly licking it to his claim mark before he says deeply, "I believe you're right. So where do you wish to start?"

 _How about we go back to bed and start back where we left off last night…?_ I bite my lip, wishing to voice such a thought, but instead I take the higher road and say what should be said: "W-well, we need to get Rings for the furniture we'll need. Um, how many Rings do you have right now?"

A slow smirk crosses his tan muzzle as if he's silently enjoying something only he knows. When he brings his lips to my rightmost ear, I realize exactly what he found so amusing. "You do realize you could have said the word and I would have taken you to our room as you wished…"

My face flushes and I hastily try to agree to just that, but Shadow steps away from me with a shake of his head. "Too late, hedgehog. Now what's this about Rings?"

I glare at him immaturely for a moment before finally giving in, our moment of passion having passed, unfortunately. "Well, every Ring we've encountered is collected and stored with us like energy, I guess. I don't really know the technicalities of it like Tails, but I do know how to get them to reveal themselves. It's a little like Chaos Emeralds. All you have to do is let go of the extra energy that's running lightly through you." As if to demonstrate, I close my eyes and seek out the energy that doesn't belong to me, lifting my arms slightly with my palms face down as I find it so that the Rings will fall neatly at my sides.

I open my vibrant emerald-colored eyes to see maybe three hundred or so shiny golden circles all around me. I smile up at Shadow as he stares at them in wonder, his eyes closing shortly after as he eagerly follows my example. I wait to see his collection, and it takes a moment, but soon they begin to cling with a delicate chime as they land on each other, forming a small pile. Okay, so maybe a medium-sized pile is a better term. Large? …dear Chaos, it's never ending!

What was once a small pile of maybe three hundred or so like mine soon multiplies a ridiculous amount to where I can't even begin to count how many Rings he holds. When the musical chiming finally ends, Shadow opens his eyes and stares at all the Rings with a childlike fondness, his blood red eyes then turning to me for approval.

I'm actually a bit speechless and can't seem to find words to respond to the situation. When I finally can find my tongue again, I say the first words that come to mind: "What exactly did you do? Collect every Ring that you saw?"

He seems uncertain after my brash inquires, his eyes now questioning when he speaks. "Was I not supposed to?"

My expression softens as I try to explain myself. "No, that's what I meant, Shads. I'm just a little surprised by how many you have. I guess you could say that you're, uh, kind of rich, hehe."

Understanding dawns in his countenance, and he moves to gather some of the Rings. "Well, you should know that what's mine is yours, so that makes us both. Now, what do you say about getting that furniture you wanted?"

I nod affectionately and help him collect some of the Rings, not really sure how much all the stuff we're going to buy is going to cost.

~XxoOoxX~

We enter what is probably one of the largest structures I've seen created by the Mobians, and it's filled to the brim with furniture of any being's taste. This is good and bad. Good because there should be no problem with us finding anything. Bad because my blue beauty tends to have the mindset of a child in a candy store.

This leads us to the problem. We've been walking around this store for what seems like hours, and we still haven't agreed on a single item of furniture. It's not about price or anything; it's more along the lines of if I were to let him pick, the house would end up looking much worse than it already does. A prime example presents itself now as I see his eyes light up at the first "cool" couch his eye catches.

"Shads, what about that blue one?" He points excitedly in its direction, surrounded by couches of different shades of that hue.

I sigh while shaking my head, correcting offhandedly, "No. That's viridian, by the way."

His lips purse and he looks in my direction with an arch to his eyebrow before gazing around for a brief second, his hand already stretched forward as he points again. "Okay, what about that red one?"

I look at him with a frown. " _Vermilion._ And no, it's too bright."

He huffs and walks over to a simple loveseat surrounded by couches and cushions of a displeasing color. "This purple one looks nice."

I stand beside him and look at it in disdain. "It's violet, and do I really look like a person who wants violet in his home?"

Sonic grits his teeth and marches over to another bigger couch that almost seems like the leader of its color group and declares, "This yellow one! We can make it work."

I look at him as if he's gone mad. "Are you crazy? I'd go blind just looking at it. And it's not yellow—it's _vitellary._ "

He throws his hands up and exclaims a quiet, _"Chaos! What's with you and colors?"_ before looking around and sitting on a simple sofa nestled deeply in its cluster of matches. "This one. It's comfy and it's green, but I'm _sure_ there'll be something that's wrong with it anyway."

I move to sit beside him, giving him a moment before I comment. "You're right. It is comfy."

He looks hopeful at this, but, alas, I continue, "But again it's too bright. Verdigris isn't really a color I enjoy."

He shoots up from his seat in barely controlled agitation as he jabs a finger at my chest. " _Damn it, Shadow!_ Fine! Fine. I give up. If you don't like my decisions, then _you_ decide."

I shake my head at his words and stand quickly so that I can place my hands on his shoulders as I clarify my reasoning, "It's not that I don't like your choices. It's just that you're not giving it much thought. I really do love your enthusiasm for this, but I feel there should be a, eh, color scheme for the house instead of random colors. Do you understand?" I ask smoothly, hoping to soothe his ire with me.

He seems like he tries to hold onto his anger as he shifts his eyes to and from me, but in the end he sighs and leans into me, nodding his head in the junction of my neck and shoulder. "Can we do it together, then? There'd be a lot of less time wasted…" he voices, the sound of it muffled due to our close proximity.

"Of course," I agree as I gently begin to pull him along by the waist. Sonic and I walk around for a while longer, and I can feel my hedgehog's urge to point at the many designs of furniture in the store, but he shows restraint and waits patiently for a sign.

That sign comes when I spot it. It's a nice, modest sofa with colors that thankfully don't blind me or make me want to lose my breakfast. It has a smooth black leather backing with soft royal blue coverings. It even comes with decorative pillows—a nice touch.

I guide my mate to sit on the sofa and gauge his reaction, hoping that he too thinks of it as highly as I do. Every muscle in his body relaxes into the cushions as he gives a breathy sigh. Our eyes lock when his lips begin to form a coy little smile. "I see what you're doing, Shads, and I have to admit …this is pretty nice. And the colors are pretty cool."

"So you wish to get this one?"

He nods and grasps my hand as he jumps up energetically. "Yep! This makes things a lot easier too! I totally understand that color scheme thing you were talking about now, Shads. Our next stop: the rugs!"

I allow my head to shake slowly in fondness as he pulls me around hyperactively, the stares we get far from being unusual by this point. _Maybe we should buy things in sets instead of single selection…_

~XxX~

We finally arrive back home after getting a new living room set, bedroom set, and even a few kitchen appliances. It hardly set us back in Rings, not that they're really anything to worry about. I just find their qualities pretty unique. According to the store, the furniture should arrive sometime this evening—they offered rush delivery free of charge, not only because of Sonic's fame but because of how much we helped the store with our business after all the destruction that occurred.

Sonic promptly collapses in a fit of exhaustion on our soon-to-be-old couch almost immediately after we enter the cabin. I let my eyes study him thoroughly, noting something off.

He sits up gingerly in order to look at me, and I can glean right away what the difference is. His vibrant green eyes are duller than usual, looking more towards the color of forest green than anything. I move to sit by him on instinct, feeling as if there's something I need to do to help him right now…

"We need to… need to move all the stuff before the guys get here, Shads …I don't know where all my energy went," he tells me with a sheepish laugh in between his adorable yawns.

I grasp his chin in my left hand as I slowly move my muzzle into the left junction of his shoulder and neck in order to seek out something necessary…

I feel him stiffen slightly under my search before he unknowingly yields as our instincts subconsciously kick in. "Shads, what are you—"

I find what I need before he can complete his inquiry and allow my teeth to slot into the healed depressions in his skin, causing rich blood to flow over my thirsting taste buds. His next inhalation is caught in his throat as his lifeblood begins to seep sluggishly from my mark and in return permit my near-abundant source of Chaos energy to revitalize him as needed.

His hands fly up to cling to my arms, the muscles in his appendages tensing and releasing in time with his ragged breathing. At first I believe it's because I'm hurting him and almost release him despite his need of energy—that is until I hear the soft, breathy moan he exhales.

If the taste of his surprisingly sweet and pure blood didn't set me off before, that sound alone causes my ears to twitch and my blood to heat tremendously. I relinquish my hold on his chin in order to trail it down his firm chest to the soft, furry mass of his stomach— _soft?_ —where I allow my hand to clutch there gently as I make another transfer of energy to his person.

A much louder moan sounds, followed by a whine of my name, and I decide to pull back before I can no longer contain myself. I lick the marked area slowly one last time before turning to see my work. Rosy cheeks and parted lips that allow delicious pants to flow are what catch my eye first before I lock gazes with my destined mate. He looks hazy from pleasure but far more luminescent than before, which was my goal all along.

"What was… that for?" he manages after a few minutes of catching his breath.

I lift my hand to cup his cheek and rub my thumb over the flushed area fondly. "I believe you're losing energy, although I'm not sure what the cause is. I shared mine with you so you'd no longer feel so exhausted."

He nods slowly and moves to stand, nearly stumbling as he does so. I stabilize him and give him a guilty look when realizing his instability is my fault. "Sorry, I probably took too much from you. You should maybe go rest. I can move the furniture on my own."

I can see the protest in his eyes, but in the end he agrees with a nod. "Okay, just let me know when I have to move so the bed can be put in." He reaches up to clasp my face tenderly, giving me a lingering kiss before he leaves. "Thanks, by the way…"

I watch him go with an admittedly love-struck gaze, completely fine with my heart being wielded by that blue beauty.

~XxoOoxX~

The dying screams of thousands can be heard as a city is laid to waste by vile, slimy creatures. Buildings lie in crushed, dismantled ruins, bodies strewn about after their purpose is complete. There are only a few people left standing who continue to fight, and even their time runs short.

A dark-skinned male in his late twenties fires his gun desperately in order to keep the horde of many feasting creatures at bay. "Chris! This isn't— _this isn't working!"_ he calls out in panic as the mass grows bigger.

Said boy shoots his assault rifle, only barely making a dent in the front line of the converging monsters. "We have to try! _We already lost Helen!"_ His voice is broken and twisted with loss and agony, his will to fight never ceasing even with these odds.

"Chris, help! _HELP ME!"_ A hysteric shriek echoes through the broken street from a red-haired girl. Both men turn to see the slimy invaders beginning to devour their friend alive.

"Frances— _no, FRANCES!"_ The dark-skinned man drops his defenses and takes off in the direction of the girl as her cries turn to moist choked gurgles and soon silence all together as wet splatters of blood spill across the pavement.

"Danny, don't!" Chris screams, knowing that yet another one of his friends will be lost to the masses of sick fulfillment. It takes only seconds for his prediction to become true, and he lifts his gun up weakly as the dark beings surround him. He holds the trigger on the rifle only for the sound of a click to reach his ears, letting him know that he's out of bullets and hope.

Dropping his gun in surrender, he bows his head, allowing his auburn bangs to cover his eyes, his last tears hitting the pavement a sign to the beasts that their meal is ready for the taking. _If only you'd been here to save us, Sonic._

~XxX~

"Last chance, commander. Where is the Ultimate Lifeform?" a towering monstrosity demands simply as he glares eyes of Hades at the beaten human before him.

"He—it—I don't know! Really! It's true!" he finally reveals when the being in charge makes a hand gesture to the waiting creatures who are eager for a feast.

Halting his brethren, the large leader of the invasion crosses his arms and asks condescendingly, "Well, the last time I checked, he was under the care of GUN, _your_ army, so where, might I ask, have you misplaced him?"

Noticeable perspiration layers the pale skin of the middle-aged man as he hastily tries to explain, hoping to save his own life in return. "A f-few years back a man—a madman—stormed Prison Island and took the experiment."

"Hmm. Seems you're getting somewhere. Now, tell me: Where can I find this man?" the evil creature asks as he moves slowly around the trembling man.

"Th-that I don't know. He and the others he brought with him went back to their own world in a parallel dimension some years back."

A faux sigh escapes the monster as he moves out of the way of the man, turning to face him with a false look of sympathy. "Oh, well, that's too bad. This whole massacre was kind of a waste, then, if the Ultimate Lifeform isn't even here…"

"S-so you'll let me go?" Hope slowly begins to blossom in the eyes of the selfish leader.

"No."

Pure terror takes over the entire form of the pale man, and his screams of protest soon turn to agony as he is converged and devoured upon in a glorious feast.

Moving away nonchalantly, the tall monstrosity clasps his hands behind his back as he sighs, nonplussed. "Oh, Shadow. It seems you've escaped my clutches for the moment, but know this: You will keep your promise."

Knowing that it'll take a while to figure out which dimension Shadow could've escaped to—as there are many out there—the dark being decides to retreat to his ship, leaving a city completely wiped of its inhabitants.

* * *

Hmm, an enemy appears...

I hope you all enjoyed your the holiday! My birthday and Christmas were wonderful! New Year's is right around the corner and I hope you all have a great time! :)


	6. The Light That Reveals All

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. They all belong to SEGA.

The story, however, belongs to me.

Story Beta Read by: Pepper1622

* * *

 **~6~**

 **-The Light That Reveals All-**

The past three weeks have been pure bliss… well, except for a few oddities. I'm known all around for being a hyperactive hedgehog, but lately I seem to go from 60 to 0 in 3.5 seconds. It's unbelievable, really. No matter where I am, when I collapse from exhaustion, Shadow seems to find me with a look of concern and, strangely enough, a set of arousing teeth…

It's such a guilty pleasure of mine, having his teeth sink into my flesh so deeply as he consumes my blood and transfers energy between us. The fact that his fangs are longer than average, reaching further into my flesh, is far from unpleasant. In fact, every time I feel them my toes curl and I have to try to keep myself from getting too excited.

My lack of energy isn't the only weird thing that's happened. I remember just the other morning when Shadow asked what I wished to have for breakfast…

...

 _My stomach growls loudly in desperation as if to say if it didn't get food that instant it would keel over and cease to function. I take this message to heart and drape my front dramatically on the dining room table as I whine childishly, "I'm dying here, Shads…"_

 _He chuckles halfheartedly at my antics and gazes down at me from the entrance to the kitchen. "Well, I did query you on your preferences for breakfast."_

 _I pout and try to envision what I would like to have shoved down my gullet, and almost instantly without my consent the thought of a large, juicy T-bone steak appears in the forefront of my mind. "Steak. Steak, I want steak, Shadow."_

 _His eyebrows raise incredulously at my request; he's already beginning to shake his head in refusal. "We don't have steak, Sonic. I'm sure there's something else you'd wish to have…"_

 _I sit up straight and shake my head intensely, feeling the painful grumble of my stomach as my wish for food continues to go unanswered. "No! Shadow, I want that and only that right now. Please…" I gaze at him with wide, persuasive eyes, hoping that he'll waver and do what I want…_

 _I can see the crimson of his eyes fighting against my penetrating stare with gallant effort, but in the end he caves, marching towards the door as he grumbles under his breath about being wrapped around my finger._

 _I smirk and call out to his retreating form, "Thanks, Shads!"_

 _To pass the time, I walk around the house aimlessly, just taking in the nice homey feel of everything, slowly going through an appetite change—unbeknownst to my hardworking mate. As soon as he walks back through the front door carrying the bag holding the freshly cooked steak, my face scrunches up in revulsion and I stride back to my seat at the table, a tone of disgust penetrating my next words._

" _I don't want that, Shadow."_

 _He sits the bag on the table across from me, much to my displeasure, and looks at me with suppressed irritation. "What?"_

" _I don't want that. Can you please make me scrambled eggs and maybe even sausage links, too?" My look is sheepish as I gaze into his hard stare. I feel bad for making him go out and get me that food, but I really don't think I can stomach it right now._

 _It takes a moment, but he turns away from me with a huff and begins to do as I asked, muttering a "Damn, if I didn't love you…" under his breath._

 _Feeling bad for making him do all this work, I get up and hug him from behind, placing a small kiss on his shoulder as I whisper, "Thanks, Shadow."_

 _..._

There were far too many breakfasts that happened in a similar sense as that, and there didn't seem to be anything I could do to stop it from occurring. Looking at the afternoon sky splattered with fluffy white clouds, I give a determined look as I prepare for my usual daily run. "I refuse to collapse today. Speed's in my _genes_ for crying out loud. Besides, I've been feeling a little on the chubby side lately. I need the exercise."

Stretching gingerly for a while so that my muscles are ready for action, I get into my ready position and start off at an easy jog, which is probably a sprint to most others. At this elevation, even with it being early July, the air feels good flowing through my vibrant blue fur. I finally feel like I'm going to actually _get_ somewhere today as I gradually begin to pick up the pace, racing steadily across the rolling green plains.

A calm settles over me as I do what comes naturally, allowing my spirit to run free with the wind that blows unbound. Things are going smoothly… until it suddenly feels like all the blood in my body is rushing to my head as black spots begin to cloud my vision and I just can't… find the energy to… s-stay on my feet…

With feelings of vertigo, I tumble across the ground for a moment—I wasn't going that fast to begin with—and come to a stop near one of the few pine trees that grow away from the thick forest Shads and I stay in.

My limbs tremble beneath me as I try desperately to push myself up in a more dignified position, but ultimately I end up lying on the ground sucking in gulps of air as my eyes begin to close slowly against my will. _No, no! This shouldn't be h-happening! What's wrong with me? Am I really losing my speed…?_ I don't have the chance to ponder such a thought due to my consciousness leaving me as the hands of exhaustion claim me as their victim yet again.

~XxX~

I gradually awaken to the steady feel of a warm hand caressing the fur along my head, and the familiar scent of cinnamon and coffee assaults my nose. _Shadow. He must have found me._ A surge of disappointment floods through me as the realization hits: _It happened again._ _Why can't I run anymore? Why…?_

The frown on my face must be pretty noticeable because the petting of my head halts as Shadow informs me in a low, resigned tone, "It can no longer be ignored, hedgehog. Something is wrong."

I give a lengthy exhale before finally opening my eyes to see Shadow's almost slumped form, so much different than his usual straight back and confident demeanor.

"It took me hours to find you, you know," he continues offhandedly. _Hours?_ I turn my gaze to our bedroom window and witness the sight of early evening light. "I'd assumed you wouldn't go that far, especially with how you've been feeling lately, and made the mistake of taking a call from Rouge. By the time I managed to get away from the phone, I knew something was wrong when you hadn't come to ask me for some bizarre lunch.

"Figuring you'd most likely passed out again from pushing yourself like I constantly advise you _not_ to, I went looking for you. Only you weren't there. You weren't anywhere. I don't know every end of this Zone like you, so you could've been virtually _anywhere,_ and I was beginning to run out of daylight—!" The frantic worry that laces his words forces my ears to flatten in guilt as I turn on my side to wrap my arms around his torso and bury my face in his lower stomach.

"It's okay, Shadow. You found me. I'm here," I voice in a soothing tone, hoping to ease his fear of loss as well as my own feelings of guilt. _I should've never gone and did that. These fainting spells have been gradually getting worse after all._

My dark-furred mate lowers himself to my level on the bed so that he can wrap his arms securely around me as he holds me like I'm the only thing keeping him tethered to this world. He kisses me desperately, almost seeking reassurance that I'm real and very much still his to hold and possess. I'm left breathless when he finally pulls back, and I can only stare dazedly into his eyes as his words begin to filter into my mind.

"If anything happened to you, Sonic…I can't imagine what I would do. And if I were the cause…" His crimson eyes are a turmoil of pain and agony, and the sight brings me back into focus.

I grasp his face firmly in between my hands and declare resolutely, "I would never blame you, Shadow. _Never._ "

His eyes turning away from me are answer enough. He doesn't believe me. It hurts that he doesn't trust me enough with this, but I guess it's something that'll have to be proven with time. I decide to follow his line of sight and notice with a flush of embarrassment that he's staring at my slightly bulging stomach. _Curse my lack of exercise!_

I try to cover it up with my arms subtly and offer a nervous laugh when he gazes at me in question. "I may have, heh, put on a few pounds… you know, with the lack of exercise and such. And I have been eating a lot, too," I try to explain, feeling self-conscious for once about something so silly. "You know, I haven't looked this round since I was little," I add with a fond laugh.

Shadow smirks softly at this and lifts his hand to run it down the fawn fur of my chest to my stomach. I move my arms out of the way to allow him to touch, and a thought comes to mind dully of how much this resembles a guy feeling his mate's ba—

The moment his hand makes contact with the very small protrusion, something remarkable happens, breaking me from my thoughts. Our hidden Marks begin to glow vibrant, luminescent colors. Shadow's is a blinding blue, and even though I can't see mine directly, the color gold is easily deciphered. Shadow pulls back from me in surprise, and the colors disappear as soon as they came, leaving us in stunned confusion.

"What was that?" I breathe after a moment's passed.

My intellectual mate studies his hand and my stomach for a moment before locking our eyes in a steady gaze. "I don't know, but I think it has something to do with me touching your stomach."

I nod slowly and give a weak, confident smirk, feeling quite fearful of what this could possibly mean. "There's only one way to find out."

Not being one to hesitate for too long, Shadow brings his hand back to rest on my stomach, and our Marks illuminate again in a radiant show colors. Experimenting a little, my bio-hog rubs his hand along my little protrusion soothingly, and the colors stay where they are; only when his hand leaves the subtle bulge do they vanish as if a switch was turned off.

"Okay, I've gotta admit, this is weird," I say after over ten minutes of testing this strange occurrence.

Shadow finally takes his hand away and sits up in bed as he begins to ponder this conundrum. "Yes, it is strange, but there must be a reason for it. Perhaps the cause of your lack of energy, even."

That would make sense, but what exactly is the cause, I wonder. "If only there was a way to maybe scan your energy and get a reading of it, some light could be shed on this matter…" he mutters in frustration as his eyes again focus on my softly rounded stomach.

I sit up next to him and offer a smile, as I have a solution to that problem at least. "If it's a scanner thingamajig you're looking for, I'm pretty sure Tails has one. He's used it on me loads of times."

Relief shines in his eyes as he takes my hand and begins to pull me out of bed gingerly—even though I'm not old, just a little tired. "Good, then there's no use in us staying here right now when this needs figuring out." Opening the top drawer of the dusky blue side table, he pulls out the purple Chaos Emerald in preparation for a quick Chaos Control.

In seconds we're in the workshop of Tails and Cosmo's home, staring at the startled form of one twin-tailed fox. Boy, have I missed him. The surprise doesn't last long as he shoots from his seat and into my arms with a heartfelt call of my name.

" _Sonic!"_

We embrace like close family who haven't seen each other in ages, and I have to admit it feels amazing to hold my little brother again. "I've missed you, Sonic!"

"I've missed you too, buddy…" I murmur into the soft fur of his head, inhaling his familiar scent. When it finally becomes time for us to let go, Tails does so with a surprising look of puzzlement on his face. It's surprising until I realize what he's looking at.

"Whoa! What happened? You look like you're ten again!" he says with a chuckle of amusement.

I face-palm for a moment as I mutter sullenly, "Don't remind me."

His crystal blue eyes finally turn to Shadow, who watched our whole display at a respectable distance—even though that wasn't really necessary. He's family too. "Hey, Shadow! What brings you guys here so late? Cosmo's actually outside for the moment tending to this new batch of plants she was eager to have around, so she won't be in for a while," Tails informs us with a soft smile.

"Hello, Tails. This is actually more than just a social visit, which is why we arrived so late," Shadow replies as he moves to stand next to me.

"Well, okay. What do you guys need?" my liltle bro asks curiously as his tails swish gently in synch behind him.

"We were hoping that maybe you could scan Sonic's Chaos energy and give us a reading because of this…" At the conclusion of his words, his large gloved hand moves to cover the small bump of my stomach.

A soft "Whoa…" leaves Tails' parted lips as he looks at our glowing Marks in amazement. Our little light show ends as Shadow steps back slightly, bringing my bro out of his temporary astonishment. He immediately goes to his work station to search through all the gadgets scattered across the stainless steel table, picking up a handheld device once he spots it. He turns to me and says in a tone that speaks from experience, "You know the drill."

I nod and move to stand in the center of the room with my arms extended slightly at my sides. While standing in front of me, Tails points the yellow scanner at me, running it from my head to toes as the light blue beam that extends from it takes in my information. Once complete, he moves to connect it to the large computer located in the room in order to display the readings.

I turn my gaze to find Shadow staring at me with the same anticipation that burns inside me. As Tails pulls up the data, Shadow guides me to a chair while he remains standing. I know what he's doing, and I almost protest the gesture, but I suck it up and admit to myself that he's just showing his hidden soft side that I adore again.

"Okay, I think I can see why you guys were so concerned, besides the obvious." Our eyes turn to what Tails is speaking of and see an image of my body on the screen. Usually the energy inside of me is displayed all throughout my form, but, according to the screen, it seems to be concentrated in my stomach… but why?

"What does this mean?" Shadow wonders aloud as he stares at the diagram intently, as if doing so will solve this whole thing.

"I don't know. It seems like he's suppressing his energy, almost like he's… hiding something?" Tails answers with the same analytic tone.

I stand abruptly at this and retort with a bit of offense, "Hey! I'm not hiding anything! And I'm right here, ya know."

Both acknowledge my presence with apologetic eyes, only their expressions shift almost simultaneously as they continue to stare at me longer. I get a little worried, especially when it seems like Tails pales to a lighter shade of orange. "What's wrong?" I demand, feeling on the verge of panic at their continued silence.

"It can't be possible… can it?" the preteen asks slowly as his eyes never leave my form.

Feeling completely on edge, I take a step back almost defensively and gaze into the eyes of my mate as I practically plead for an answer. "Shadow, what's going on? What did you guys figure out?"

His expression smooths, but the air around him doesn't seem to change as he slowly begins to approach me. "You haven't noticed what you're doing right now?" he calmly asks first to get me thinking.

My face twists in confusion, and I look down at myself to see what he's talking about… and see my hands clutching my stomach almost protectively. The sight alone sends my thoughts into turmoil, and I feel like I'm beginning to hyperventilate. I know what this looks like. I know _exactly_ what this looks like. But it can't be possible. _It shouldn't be possible—!_

Shadow's hands gently hold my face up so that I'm forced to stare into his eyes like they're the light at the end of the dark tunnel. "Breathe, hedgehog, breathe."

"It's not possible, Shadow! They said it wasn't! They said only once—!"

He lets go of my face in order to hold me in his arms as tremors of shock course through my body. I try desperately to allow his form to soothe my hysteria, taking refuge in the cover of his fluffy white fur and the comfort of his rubbing hands. "It's okay, Sonic. You need to calm down. You wouldn't want to hurt the baby."

 _The baby…_

"How is it possible? They said only once. They made me think…" I question softly, feeling so happy yet broken on the inside, such contradicting emotions. _I never should've given up._

"I guess it's true for others that it only happens once, but we're different, hedgehog. We can make it happen," he says in the end before placing a kiss on my forehead.

"So we're having a baby, huh?" My voice is light and disbelieving, as I never thought such a thing would be possible again.

"It would appear so. That would explain all of the strange meals you've requested, and of course the lack of energy and fainting spells. Our little one was just trying to be noticed." Shadow likes to try and act like a tough guy to the world, but I can hear it in his voice. He's just as happy about this as I am.

"So am I allowed to congratulate you guys now?" the hesitant yet joyful voice in the room interjects.

I pull back from my Chaos Bound to see Tails giving a small, excited smile and open my arms so that he can give me a proper blessing.

"Oh, I'm happy for you guys! This is really great!"

Just as I'm about to respond, we hear the soft footsteps of the only other occupant of the house as she enters the workshop. "Tails? What's going on? I heard other voices…" she trails off in surprise at the sight of us, but, when she stares at me, her pale beige hands come up to cover her mouth in absolute shock. "S-Sonic? Y-you're—"

"Pregnant? Yeah, we just found out," I finish for her with a brilliant smile.

She rushes towards me with a smile of glee, carefully wrapping her arms around me in happiness. "I'm so happy for you!" She pulls back from me and gives Shadow a small hug as well, much to his surprise. "And to you as well. You guys deserve this."

My hands move down to my small baby bump, and I still can't seem to wrap my mind around the possibility of it. _A baby. We're going to have a baby…_ I stare at Shadow with such love it practically radiates from my form, and he seems to notice it. Unashamed of the kids in the room, he captures my lips in a loving caress, slowly filling my heart with pure adoration and passion.

As he cradles my stomach between us, I feel like the happiest hedgehog alive. A dream I'd once given up on is actually coming true.

* * *

All will be explained... next chapter!

I hope you all had a great New Year's day! I hope this year will be wonderful and prosperous for you all!


	7. What Must Remain Hidden

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. They all belong to SEGA.

The story, however, belongs to me.

Story Beta Read by: Pepper1622

* * *

 **~7~**

 **-What Must Remain Hidden-**

Sonic and Cosmo moved to sit on the little bed the kitsune probably uses when he works late on projects—she was also so kind as to bring him a plate of Chili Dogs from Tails' earlier dinner—since they sensed Tails and I about to begin talking about more "in-depth" concepts. I find it pretty impressive that such a young person as himself can understand the complex theories such as Quantum Entanglement or even the Copenhagen Interpretation, but then again Maria was just as smart, so it shouldn't be a surprise.

He turns his intelligent blue eyes, just as clever as hers, on me and asks in a curious tone, "So do you have any interesting theories on how this could've happened when you guys were told it would be impossible to occur again?"

I give a small smile at his thirst for knowledge and decide to offer my idea. "Well, I believe it has something to do with the two of us being 'Pure' Chaos beings. I've had to give Sonic energy quite a few times during his pregnancy, and I think that's why he's been able to manage a second pregnancy at all. I mean, you've seen the light show that happens whenever I touch his stomach and how all the energy in his body is directed towards that area."

I can tell all of my words are being absorbed into Tails' remarkable mind as he goes over the information with rapt interest. "Whoa… that's pretty amazing! I told Sonic before that you guys were powerful, but there's still so much to learn! Do you think Sonic can, um, conceive like females because of this?"

He's clearly embarrassed to be asking such a question about his brother, but genuine curiosity still lies within his eyes. I turn away and look at my blue hedgehog sitting and talking to Cosmo with the biggest smile upon his face as I consider the kit's inquiry. "I don't really know… There are numerous possibilities. It could very well have been because we were technically still in season. Or like I said before: because he's a Pure Chaos being and possibly strong enough to conceive more than once. Until it's looked into more thoroughly, it's all just speculation," I finally decide.

"Hmm. I guess that's true… Say, um, Shadow, do you mind if I ask you a favor?"

I turn back to see Tails looking a little nervous upon his request but still willing to await my response. I arch an eyebrow and answer slowly, "…sure."

"Would you be willing to let me scan you like I did with Sonic before? It could come in handy for later references, and I could look more into Pure Chaos energy," he goes on with a sheepish smile.

I don't answer at first, which makes the atmosphere around us a little tense, but finally I reply with a simple, "Okay."

He looks as if he was holding his breath as he inhales deeply for a moment and brings out the scanner to take a quick swipe from my head to toes. With a small smile he heads over to his vast computer setup and hooks up the device in order to read my details, although I already know what he's going to discover.

I close my eyes and cross my arms as indifferently as possible as the truth slowly unravels to his far-too-discerning mind. "This… this can't be possible…" And there it is. I open my eyes slowly to see Tails staring at me with a bizarre mixture of awe and fear.

I cut to the chase, so as not to frighten him even more—I wouldn't want to upset Sonic—and tell him quite plainly, "I wasn't exactly born Mobian. I was created. By a scientist. Professor Gerald Robotnik, to be exact."

This seems to bring even more fear to his eyes, which is the exact opposite of what I was going for. I stealthily glance over my shoulder to see Sonic just starting to gaze in this direction with a slow sense of suspicion overtaking his countenance. Subtly moving in front of his view of the kitsune, I bring back my attention to the orange fox before me when he practically demands, "Does Sonic know about this?"

My gaze shifts downward as I respond softly, "Yes… and he still somehow manages to love me."

"Oh, that's a relief."

I look up, confused, to see that he truly does look a lot more relaxed. Seeing my puzzled demeanor, he answers with a kind smile and a knowing look. "Well, if Sonic didn't know, I couldn't imagine trying to keep that kind of secret from him. And Sonic's a pretty understanding and forgiving person, so you shouldn't concern yourself with something as simple as this."

The beings of this planet truly amaze me. My first few years were a living hell all because I was different, an 'experiment.' Feelings of kindness and love only came from two people, and I took whatever I could get like a man deprived of oxygen. And yet, here it's the complete opposite, and I find myself wondering if it's honestly too good to be true.

"So, anyway, you're saying that you don't fear me?" I finish aloud in disbelief.

He shakes his head with a smile. "Nah, you may be a bit, uh, _intimidating_ , but I see how you are with Sonic. You love him more than anything. Besides, you're also a friend of mine."

I walk forward and lay my hand gently on his spindly shoulder as a sign of gratitude. "Thank you, Tails. You're my friend as well."

~XxX~

"Can you believe it, Shads? We're having a little hedgie." Sonic's smile is radiant as he holds his small belly and gazes at me from our bed.

I climb in once I've removed my clothes and rest my palm over his little bulge lovingly, making sure to pull the covers up to his neck so that the glow doesn't disturb him as much. "Yes, it truly is a wonderful gift," I answer quietly as my hand begins to rub slow circles over the small bump.

After a moment I watch as his eyes become sleepy, closing then opening again as he fights off his body's wish to sleep. " _Shads…_ d-don't do that… y'know that makes me sleepy." His words are quiet as he yawns thickly.

"You need your rest, hedgehog. Go to sleep," I command smoothly as I watch him losing his fight.

"Mmm, fine… g'night." The battle is over before it even began as even breaths leave his slightly parted lips and he is ensnared in the land of dreams.

I settle my arms around his waist in order to gather him close as I settle my chin on top of his head, curling my body around his as I do so. "Maria… you had to have a hand in creating him for me, for he is truly an angel…" A memory of her giggles fills my ears as she takes enjoyment out of my rather sappy comment, which forms a small smirk on my muzzle.

A heavy sigh escapes me as my thoughts turn to things a little less pleasant. "This afternoon could've turned out so much worse, especially with our little one being unknown to us. If I'd only been keeping a better eye on him, safeguarding him as I should, that little scare wouldn't have happened." My ruby eyes gaze at the far wall behind Sonic's back, the true reason for my guilt.

I hadn't been distracted by a call from Rouge—not this afternoon, at least. I was actually creating a small hidden panel in the wood in order to store my acquired firearm from the Penitentiary. Sonic could've been _lost_ all because I was concerned about keeping such a thing concealed from him. All I have to do is tell him… tell him about what I learned from GUN, and things like this won't take place again.

I internally shiver and clench my teeth in refusal of the idea. I can never tell him just how dangerous I can be. It won't be an issue in the long run, anyway. I'll make sure of it.

As I gaze at the panel, though, my mind drifts to the most dreaded days aboard the ARK: _Fridays_. I can still remember how GUN would bring in a man sentenced to death on Earth and force me to commit all sorts of vile forms of murder. The feeling of warm liquid soaking into my fur as it splashed and spilled, all the gut-wrenching screams, and the sick glee I felt when I removed all of my inhibitions and took vengeance as I pleased…

I hide my face in the almost downy soft fur of my mate's head, as if that alone can shield me from my inner demons.

I hate to admit that that's still a part of me.

~XxoOoxX~

"So we're gonna get to see our baby today, huh? You as excited as I am, Shadow?" I ask the dark hedgehog as he closes our front door behind us. It's been about a week since we discovered the little hedgehog's existence, and Shadow insists that it's best for me to get looked at to make sure that everything is going okay with our little creation.

"Very," he tells me softly as he takes my hand and begins to lead me to a local clinic not too far from the forest. We don't make it five steps before we see approaching figures a little ways off in the distance. I squint my eyes and realize exactly who made the journey to this Zone in order to visit: none other than Amy and Scourge.

"Sonic!" she calls loudly and begins to run once she sees our forms.

"Oh, jeez. You sure know how to pick friends…" Shadow mutters in distaste.

I jerk my elbow into his gut to reprimand him and am rewarded with the sound of a grunt. "Be nice. I'm sure she's got a reason for showing up so… unexpectedly."

Amy finally reaches us and stops with a breathless laugh. "Hey, guys! It's good to see you!"

I grin widely as I answer honestly, "You, too. And I see you and Scourge are doing well."

Said hedgehog comes up to stand next to the vibrant hedgehog as he wraps an arm around her waist. "Yeah, me and the lady here have been enjoyin' our time together quite nicely." His smirk is wide, leading me to wonder exactly what he might be referencing. Amy's blush doesn't really help.

"What precisely brings you two here?"

Well, I do love everything about Shadow, even if he can be a bit brash at times.

Amy just about bursts as she exclaims in excitement, "You didn't think you could keep something like, oh, I don't know… a _pregnancy_ from me, did you?"

I flush slightly in embarrassment and cradle my little stomach almost unconsciously. Her forest eyes lock on my movement, and she squeals in joy, resulting in Shadow's silent groan and Scourge's awkward smile.

"She got the info from Fox Boy and his gal," the green hedgehog offers as clarification.

That explains it. At the pink hedgehog's nearing figure, I look at her curiously, and she requests in a hopeful tone, "Is it okay if I feel it?"

I consider for a while, as no one except Shadow and I have really done such a thing, but finally I give a nod. With a beaming smile, Amy rests her hand on my belly. She seems to marvel at the feel of my stomach as she quietly gushes to herself. I rub the back of my head with a small smile and see Shadow crossing his arms in slight agitation. _I wish the two would get along, but it seems like that's too much to ask for._

When she finally takes a step back, she asks eagerly, "So where are you two heading off to?"

I actually freeze up, not really knowing what to say, because I know once I tell her she'll want to join and… this is a really special moment that I kind of want to have _alone_ with Shadow. I look over to his stoic form with a worried expression; his lips open to deliver an answer before I can even try to urge him to not be so harsh. "We're having an ultrasound done, and you're not invited."

Her face immediately scrunches up in anger, a flame beginning to blaze in her usually tame green eyes. _Oh, brother… at this rate we're going to be late._

"How dare you! How can you just assume that Sonic wouldn't want me—"

"Rose, calm down." Scourge, as usual, has to step in to calm his lady. He must really love her to be able to go through all the crazy mood swings she tends to have on a regular basis. Tough guy. "Now, this is a real important moment. Think about it. Would you want someone other than me to be there if you were goin' to see your kid for the first time?" he adds further when his earlier wish for her to calm meets an unmoving wall.

This seems to work, as she gives a long sigh and looks up at me with apologetic green eyes. "Sorry, Sonic."

I place a hand on her shoulder and shake my head. "It's all right. If it makes you feel any better, you guys can stay here until Shads and I get back. It's the least I can do."

From the huff Shadow gives, he doesn't agree with my idea, but Amy embraces the notion with open arms. "Sure! You guys go on ahead to your appointment. I wouldn't want to make you late!" she exclaims before pulling her smirking mate towards our home.

We stand there for a moment in silence until I lower my ears and look up at Shadow with a nervous smile.

He is not amused.

"Come on, Shads! Don't look at me like that." I pout with my arms crossed as I begin to slowly walk towards where I know the clinic is located.

"You know how much I detest that Rose girl, and yet you invited her to our home without even consulting me first." His tone is bitter and biting, making me frown.

"Well, I'm sorry, okay? She's my friend, and she obviously came a long way just to visit, so I thought it would be okay if she stayed for a little while. Blame me for wanting to be a good friend," I mutter dejectedly while hearing his footsteps fall steadily behind me.

"Hedgehog…" He sighs in exasperation, but I don't turn to him as I keep my eyes forward on the path, the blue grass crunching steadily under my determinedly stomping feet. _It's going to take more than that to get me to forgive you._

"Sonic."

 _Nope._ I see the more populated area coming up and increase the pace of my walk just a bit in order to make it clear on my stance.

" _Damn it, Sonic!_ I'm sorry!" he finally shouts as he moves to match the pace I set in order to look at my face. I refuse to meet his gaze, though.

"Well, _gee,_ it sure seems like it," I answer sarcastically as the unique buildings and bystanders come within a few feet of us.

"Fine. Even though I may not _like_ her, I… shouldn't have spoken so spitefully over something so minor. I apologize." He sounds sincere, but… I don't know why it's so hard for me to let go of this right now.

When I don't look at him or say anything, he exhales in resignation, which finally snaps me out of whatever was affecting me. I turn to see Shadow's outer appearance as indifferent as ever, but his eyes will never be able to lie to me: he's hurting.

I purse my lips and wrap my arms around his one closest to me as I settle my body next to his while we walk. I look up with forgiving eyes in order to meet his hopeful crimsons. "I forgive you, Shads. I was being a little overdramatic there. Sorry."

He lifts my chin with his other hand in order to kiss me chastely, which regardless still leaves me breathless. "Let's just forget it. We have more important things to think about right now." It's at that moment that I realize we're in front of the clinic, Top Treatment Center _._

We enter the glass doors, and Shadow guides me to a comfortable seat notably away from the other Mobians while he heads over to the desk to sign in, since he is the one who made the appointment. I have to wonder about the seat placement, though. Is it because he doesn't want me bombarded with questions due to my fame, or because he likes the solitude? Shrugging it off for the moment, I sit there, idly kicking my feet back and forth while I rub my stomach slowly, unaware of the pair of eyes watching me intensely.

"It shouldn't be too long now," Shadow informs me as he takes his seat beside me.

"Good, because I am not a patient person when I can't move around," I reply with a small laugh. Shadow silently agrees with a hum and smoothly moves his arm to rest on the back of my chair like one of those clichéd moves I once saw in a movie theater while we were staying on Earth. The very thought causes me to chuckle as I lean into his chest, completing the stereotype.

"Mr. Hedgehog?" a strong male voice calls out suddenly.

Both of us look up to see a sleek grey wolf with golden eyes garbed in a white coat that doesn't completely cover his thick, bushy tail gazing around for the aforementioned patient. He doesn't seem really doctor worthy to me, but you can't really judge a book by its cover.

Shadow and I stand up to greet him, the warm hand of the wolf immediately grasping mine in a soft shake as his eyes stare directly into mine. "You must be my patient. Sonic, correct?" His voice is deep and gruff, filled with curiosity.

I nod with a smile, about to offer a comment, when Shadow's voice speaks up, oddly cold in its essence. "I don't recall making an appointment with you. What happened to Dr. Ruby?"

The doctor offers a charming smile in Shadow's direction as he politely answers the direct question: "Dr. Ruby is actually sick today, and I was totally okay with taking a look at Sonic in her place."

Something seems off about the way he said that, but I nod and make a move to step forward only to realize my hand is still in the grasp of the doctor. I look at him with a puzzled expression only for my visage to twist in surprise when I notice the almost leering gaze he holds while looking at me. In the blink of an eye, though, it's gone, and his hand is taken away from mine. _Okay, weird…_

"My name is Dr. Leon, and if you'd both just follow me, we can get started," the wolf informs us while turning to walk to the medical room. I still feel a bit odd about the situation and turn to Shadow to see him absolutely _bristling_.

Maybe he saw it, too.

We enter the sterile white room fitted with medical equipment of many purposes, but this one mainly to give a female—or male in my case—an ultrasonic examination. Upon locating Dr. Leon, I notice him patting the bed for me to lie on with a smile, the gold of his eyes displaying an outward politeness that doesn't seem to suit him.

I ignore it for now and lie down as comfortably as I can, the only thought in my mind being able to see our child for the first time. My ears perk when the wolf's gruff tone calmly addresses Shadow with a suggestion: "If you'd like, you can have a seat right there. It's a lot more comfortable than standing."

Shadow doesn't move a muscle, doesn't even respond. His eyes just burn deep lasers into my doctor with his fierce glare. The silky grey wolf holds his hands up in mock appeasement and turns back to me with a _what-can-you-do?_ expression. "Not very fun to be around, huh?" he asks me while pulling out some equipment.

I bristle slightly at this, feeling he has no right to say such a thing about Shadow. "That's none of your business. Can we just start this, please?"

He nods with a smile while bringing a tube of something towards my stomach. I startle when I feel his warm hand settle on my small belly and actually begin to rub it in a very non-professional way. The beginnings of a growl forming in Shadow's chest aren't lost on me either.

"This gel is going to be cold, so be prepared…" Is that an actual tinge of a sensual vibe I sense in his voice? Does he not realize I'm Bound to Shadow, and that even if I weren't I wouldn't find the likes of him attractive? _At all?_

I can tell he's like those Earthlings who don't treat marriage like the sacred thing that I'm sure it once was. He thinks Chaos Bound isn't all it's cracked up to be just because he hasn't found his mate. I have half a mind to just call this whole thing off because of how sleazy this guy is, but since we're so close to actually getting an image, I look away… _for now._

He places the gel on my fawn fur and moves to get the little monitor up so that Shadow and I can see our little baby. The monitor is to my left, and Shadow moves closer to my right in order to gaze at the screen from across me. Dr. Leon dims the lights just a little so that we can see when he finally gives us a sighting of the tiny child in my stomach.

My emerald eyes practically glue themselves to the screen as I take in the precious sight. Little hands, feet, and down-turned quills are what first grab my attention when I see the little hedgie. I silently gasp as I look more into its face and notice the closed eyes, small nose, and tiny ears. My smile is brighter than that of a supernova when I see its little thumb moving into its tiny mouth. My joy is palpable when I turn to Shadow with slight tears in my eyes. "This is amazing, Shads," I breathe with barely contained elation.

Shadow's hand moves to grasp mine as his eyes finally find the will to turn away from the screen, and I immediately sense the utter joy and happiness that festers inside him that rivals my own. "Yes, it truly is…"

Just when his lips are about to meld with mine, Dr. Leon's voice interrupts rather abruptly. "I can tell that your child is maybe a little over a month old, although it's unusually small for this stage."

This causes me to pause with worry and turn to the golden-eyed wolf with a question already on my lips. "Will our baby be all right?"

His lips curve into a smirk for a split second before he answers, "Well, _we_ don't have a child, Sonic… but I'd be willing to try to have one with you if you're up for it, heh. Otherwise, this little hedgehog you're carrying is perfectly fine."

Completely. Ridiculous. I can't even believe the words this guy just said.

Shadow has him by the throat so fast, I wonder for a moment if he was just standing by my side a second beforehand. "I've _had_ it with you trying to come onto what clearly doesn't belong to you!"

The wolf struggles for a moment before speaking with a strained voice, "H-hey, calm down! You… c-can't blame me for admiring his beauty. Who knew the world hero was this attractive close up, heh. Besides, I've seen his records. This pregnancy shouldn't even be a possibility, so unless you want me to go talking to my colleagues…" he trails off with a sly smirk as his words of blackmail begin to sink in. I personally don't care what people have to say about my miracle pregnancy; I'm just happy it happened, and I assume that's how Shads feels too, so this guy's attempt falls flat.

His golden eyes see this as Shadow remains unchanged and I simply stare with a raised eyebrow. Usually this is when "bad guys" give up, but this one ends up doing something completely revolting.

I gasp as shock runs through my system as his foreign hand touches something far more sensitive than I realized. I immediately recoil in disgust just as Shadow punches the guy so hard he connects with the far wall and crumbles into an unconscious heap. I cringe slightly at the sound and sight, practically feeling just how painful that hit must've been. I turn my eyes away from the spectacle as I get off the bed in order to grab the pictures the perverted doctor managed to take of our child.

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Shadow moving towards the fallen body in a slow advance, similar to that of a killer machine. The sight alone chills my spine as the realization that he plans to finish what he started enters my mind. _He's not really going to murder the guy, right?_ The sight of Chaos beginning to lance around his tightly clenched fists answers my question.

"Shadow?" I call out tentatively, hoping to snap him out of his seemingly murderous trance.

He freezes but doesn't say a word. His body seems to tremble in place from the restraint it takes to keep his position. Taking advantage of the small chance, I speak to him logically, wishing to appease to his rational side: "You already gave him a socking, Shads. There's no need to take it further. We'll report the guy on the way out, okay?"

I move to stand beside him and take in his face masked in struggle. My ears perk in surprise when he abruptly speaks with a hard edge, "He was threatening to have you experimented on, Sonic. They would have poked and prodded… they would have wanted to know _why_ you're pregnant again at any cost."

I swallow thickly as I take this in. Shads hasn't told me to a great extent what the horrors of being an experiment to those heartless scientists were like, but he has to know that the people of Mobius wouldn't do that to me.

My hands slowly trail along his arms in order to reach his tight fists. I move them so that they rest behind my back, around my waist. I place my arms around his neck as I slowly feel the tension leave him. "Shadow, I know I can't quite understand what you went through back on the ARK, but I can reassure you that the Mobians here won't try that on me—well, I hope," I mutter lightly while gaining an unconvinced stare from my mate. "What I mean is, I've saved these people my whole life. The least they can do is give a guy a pardon, ya know?"

This is what seems to finally snap him out of it as his eyes reveal crimson alight with the dying flames of Chaos. I smile warmly at him. "All better?"

He sighs softly while nodding. "Yes. Thank you, Sonic… you truly are my angel." The last part is whispered earnestly, and I have a hard time conveying his words in my silent disbelief.

"What?"

He shakes his head and begins to pull me out of the room, where we leave the unconscious sleaze. "It's nothing. We should be going anyway. I'm sure your friend is very eager to see those pictures you acquired."

It may not be the best day ever, but looking at the things that really matter, a truly remarkable thing happened today, and that's enough for me to be happy about as we gladly report the crook of a doc on the way out.

* * *

"..."


	8. Progressive Development

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. They all belong to SEGA.

The story, however, belongs to me.

Story Beta Read by: Pepper1622

* * *

 **~8~**

 **-Progressive Development-**

The great fiend gazes at the highly advanced computing system aboard his ship. It's been a grueling few weeks for the poor, overworked leader, what with him having to search tirelessly for the hidden dimension, murdering humans left and right whenever they decide to put up some offense, and keeping a watchful eye over his wondering, helpless brethren. Yes, it's been exhausting indeed.

His computer screens displayed entirely in alien tongue scroll endlessly with possible outcomes on the parallel dimension's coordinates, and as time passes the results get smaller and smaller, much to the delight of the devious pursuer. "Ah, Shadow, at this rate I'll find you by next week, and then you'll see that running is useless. You will help me as promised. I shall make certain of it," the vile being says while the blue glow of the symbols illuminates his face.

A dull rumble sounds through the ship as the Earthlings attempt yet another attack on the stationary space craft. With an impatient eye-roll, the creature sighs and looks around at the many little dark aliens that lie scattered about aboard the ship. It really does bring a bit of sadness to his black heart to see his little minions withering away so thoroughly.

Only the strongest of them can go to the planet's surface and collect energy from the worthless humans that live there, but they can only do so much. As he turns to those who are able, a vicious glint alights in his eyes when he speaks. "Go and feast upon those who wish to oppose us!"

With inhumane screeches of joy, they evacuate the ship and cause terror to spread across the gradually dwindling population on Earth. It's at this very moment that his computer alerts him with a message, one reading: 8 POSSIBLE DIMENSIONS FOUND.

His ominous chuckle may as well be a bad omen for all.

~XxoOoxX~

Shadow opens the front door for me, as I'm too busy marveling at the precious baby pictures to pay attention to what's going on around me. I unconsciously follow his steps like I have been since we left Top Treatment Center, except this time it leads me to running into his back when he stops abruptly. Feeling my face twist in confusion, I finally pull the black-and-white pictures from in front of my face as I step to the side of him to see just what could make him behave in such a way.

Amy and Scourge. Not just that, but the two making out heavily on our brand-new couch. My lips purse as I sulk lightly at the sight. _We haven't even gotten to_ use _our new couch, and there they are, about to test it to its limits._ Just as Scourge's hand starts to slide under Amy's curvaceous dress, Shadow decides to speak up like the calm before a storm.

"It seems you both have a different definition for the term 'hospitality' than I do. I'm pretty sure it doesn't include coming into one's home and perfuming carnal acts while the host remains unaware. We were kind enough to let you into our home, and yet here you are—"

"Shadow," I cut in with a firm tone as I see Scourge and even Amy getting a little nervous at the gradually rising sense of ire that can be heard in Shadow's voice. "It's fine. Really. I mean, weren't we a little close to doing the same thing back at Rouge's place on Angel Island?" I step a little closer to him so that my next words can only be heard by his ears. "And I think you're only getting this worked up because you have this thing against Ames. I want you guys to be friends, Shads. Can't you find a way to work it out somehow… or at least ignore her if you can't?"

His tense form slackens slightly as he exhales the tension away, and he nods in agreement to my words. I smile warmly as I leave a kiss on his tan muzzle and turn to the guilty guests with an expectant expression on my face.

Amy cracks first. "I'm sorry, Sonic! It really was kind of rude of us to do this…"

Like dominoes, Scourge falls right behind her. "Yeah, the lady's right. But you can't blame us for havin' such desires for one another, if ya know what I mean." He smirks wolfishly while pulling his mate into a big, warm embrace, which ends up in a huge giggle fit from the pink hedgehog.

I shake my head and smile at their dynamic, placing my hand casually on my hip as I do. _Scourge is such a wild card, a nice match for Amy's moods._ Shadow rather stoically moves from the room and into the kitchen, his way of distancing himself from interaction. I frown sadly at this. _I'm fine with all his quirks, but I just wish there was a way to get him to see that he doesn't need to isolate himself like this._

"So, Sonic? How'd the visit go? I see you have some pictures there," Amy questions lightly with tightly clasped hands.

A noticeable clang can be heard from the kitchen after her statement is finished, and I inwardly cringe at the reminder of the perverted doctor's touch. "Err, it went fine… our little one is developing fine, if not a little small for this stage. Here—see," I tell her while taking a seat at her side and handing over the picture.

Before she can begin gushing over the photos, Scourge stands up with a stretch of his arms and begins to head off to the kitchen where Shadow is. "Look, I'm all up for sappy business, but, uh, I think I'm gonna go and talk to ol' Shadow here about what Rose and I discovered earlier."

My left ear folds sideways in confusion for a moment as I ask, "What did you discover?"

Absentmindedly responding to my question, my delightful pink friend drinks in the pictures with rapt interest. "Oh, just that the house only has one bedroom. Scourge was thinking he could help Shadow add onto it, you know? Maybe give it another bedroom and bathroom. It'll be like our gift to you guys and a peace offering to Shadow, since I know I didn't really make a great impression with him to begin with."

My mouth gapes in surprise at this. It never really occurred to me about the little space in our home. I mean, it was fine for me and Shads, but now with this little one coming… how could we not have thought about this? My vibrant eyes shine with gratefulness as I gaze at Ames, who now seems to have enough willpower to take her eyes away from the photos. "Wow, we hadn't even thought about it, Ames, and I wouldn't have wanted to move from this place. It truly does feel like home now. I really do appreciate the generous offer, and I'm sure I can get Shads to stop being so hostile after a while."

She envelops me in a warm hug. "It's no problem at all, Sonic. Now, tell me about this cute, tiny baby! What do you think it's going to look like, you know? Whose features is it going to get?"

My face warms in mortification when I realize I'm going to have to partake in actual _girl talk._ I understand that it's become a little easier since I met Shadow to talk about feelings and such, but this seems a little extreme. With a weary smile, I hesitantly begin, "Well, uh, I can tell it's going to have my quills…"

She continues to stare at me, eagerly awaiting more, but when I don't continue her expression changes to that of exasperation. "Come on, Sonic! Put some imagination into it! What would you like to see in your child? Which traits from you and Shadow do you want it to have? Something—anything!" she all but demands frantically.

I hold up my hands as if it'll keep the rottweiler at bay. "Okay, okay, fine, sheesh. Well, I guess I wouldn't mind if it had my eyes, but it would be okay too if they were Shadow's. Um, the fur could be blue, but it could be black, too. As for traits… well, I love Shadow's strength and passion, but I wouldn't mind it being a free spirit either—"

"Sonic."

"Yeah."

"You're no fun."

~XxX~

The additions to the house are slowly but surely coming along. Scourge has proven to be quite helpful. He goes into the forest and cuts down the logs needed for Shadow to create the foundation and walls for the rooms. We actually discovered that he has the neat ability to Spin Dash, and he's even almost as fast as Shads and me—of course, I wouldn't know for sure because Shads was the one who tested him, but still. Shadow having enhanced strength has been able to properly place and shape the rooms the way they should be with ease. According to him, they should have it done just before the baby arrives.

…which brings me to my next thought: the baby. It's been two weeks since that awkward doctor's visit, and I've come to realize something: I haven't really felt anything from it. I'm beginning to worry, because I should feel something from it by now, right?

I lie on my back on our extremely comfortable foam mattress, gazing at my extending stomach. My hand reaches up to rub it slowly in hopes to get some type of reaction out of the little hoglet resting inside. After a moment, though, no sign of life presents itself.

Biting my lower lip in worry, I begin to talk to it, something I've picked up during the last week. "Hey there, little one. How ya doing? I know I've asked this before, but how about giving Mommy a little sign that you're there, huh?" I wait a moment before continuing on as casually as I can with, "Nothing, huh? Well . . . a mommy. Is that what I really am? Yeah, I'm the one carrying you, but is that really the reason why I would be called 'Mommy'?"

It's apparently a rhetorical question, as I receive no response. "Fine, then. I guess I'll take on the name 'Mommy' when you arrive, okay? Just please be all right… I don't know what I'd do if I lost you, too," I whisper quietly to my baby.

I wipe at my eyes for a moment as I shake of the emotion and continue in a more heartwarming tone, "Just so you know, you're going to have the best life Shads and I can give you. None of us has really had the experience of growing up with parents, but that's not going to happen with you. Shadow and I are going to be there every step of the way. Don't you worry, kiddo. We'll never leave you. You're our precious little joy, and we love you." My smile rivals that of the sun as I gaze at my baby bump.

"Your mother's right," Shadow unexpectedly says from the doorway, startling me.

My face warms remarkably as I gaze at his approaching form, surprise written all across my face as his words take effect. "Sh-Shads, that's embar—" My eyes suddenly widen as my body is surged with awareness when the feeling of something hitting the inside of my abdomen grabs my attention.

"Th-the baby! Shads, _the baby!_ " I exclaim loudly with almost crazed eyes in my exuberance of feeling something for the first time.

His expression blankets in worry at my tone, and he appears at my side in a split second in order to aid a problem he doesn't realize isn't there. "Sonic, what's wrong? Tell me what's wrong!"

Instead of answering the question, I grab his hand in a tight hold and place it on my stomach just as the next set of kicks comes around. I watch as his face slowly shifts from concerned to absolute joy: his muzzle gains a very tiny smile that makes him look utterly adorable, like the personification of his inner soft center.

The glow from our Marks doesn't bother me as I finally receive my wish. Our baby is perfectly fine—and one hell of a kicker, from the feel of it. Maybe it'll be a great runner, too…? I shake my head in fondness as Shadow and I marvel at this little miracle. There's no "maybe" when it comes to running, especially with two parents like us.

~XxX~

 _Why do I feel so fat? Why now?_ My expression is disgruntled as I gaze at myself in the mirror. My stomach's practically bulging in my eyes. _Chaos, I haven't been this big since I was a kid, but this is actually worse. A LOT worse._ I sigh and look down, hardly able to see my feet over my fawn stomach, and think in discontentment, _I love my baby, but…_

I don't complete the thought and waddle out of the bathroom with lowered ears to my bedroom in order to sit on the bed, having to be careful as my balance is a little off due to the extra weight. I absentmindedly rub my little ball-shaped stomach as my mood gradually dampens.

A knock on my door causes my ears to perk, but I don't look up as the person enters. I know that since she knocked, it's most likely Amy, as Shadow would just enter and Scourge would hardly ever have a reason to bother me. "Hey, Sonic? You okay?"

"Yeah. Fine," I answer blandly while keeping my gaze away from her.

She doesn't get the hint that I wish to be left alone as she strolls over and sits next to me on my bed. "No, you're not. Now tell me what's up. You can't talk to Shadow right now because he's working with Scourge, so I'll be the perfect substitute," she informs me brightly while placing a hand on my shoulder.

A dark swirl of frustration appears over my head as I observe her for a moment before standing as abruptly as I can in my condition and demanding in a heated tone, "Look at me, Ames. What do you see?"

She stares at me in confusion, her brows scrunched in worry. "Um… a pregnant hedgehog?"

A growl of frustration fills the room. "A _fat_ pregnant hedgehog! That's what I see!"

"Sonic, calm down! You haven't even gained much weight. Honestly!" she tries desperately to placate me, but I turn away from her forlornly.

"You don't understand, Amy. Just… leave me alone."

She stays in the room longer than I want—probably hesitating as she tries to think of a way to cheer me up—before finally exiting. As I lie on my side upon the bed—it puts too much pressure on my back to lie comfortably that way anymore—I realize exactly what's going on with me. I recall hearing about pregnant Mobians becoming over dramatic and highly emotional about their weight, but I refuse to let that be me. I mean, yeah, I'm a little upset, but I'm not going to go around crying about it to everyone.

I distantly notice the sudden lack of commotion outside from the construction Shadow and Scourge tend to do for most of the day during the week. With the two doing so much work on the house, I haven't been able to spend as much time with Shadow, which has been a real mood dampener after being around him almost constantly for so long.

A drawn-out sigh leaves my lungs as I stare down at my large protruding belly, and not a second later I feel a sharp kick to the area, resulting in a frown upon my muzzle. "What? Do you dislike Mommy's mood?"

A precise kick follows this as if in affirmation of my question. "Well, you're the one responsible. Throwing my hormones out of whack and all," I mutter with a petulant pout.

More kicks follow as I exhale forcefully and begin to rub my stomach in hopes of calming the little one down. "Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry. It's not your fault." After this admission, the little hedgehog stops, and I can relax a little without the slight pain from the sharp kicks.

"What's this I hear about you considering yourself as 'fat'?" Shadow's quiet baritone asks from the doorway as he enters the room almost noiselessly.

My ears perk in surprise before I look away from his approaching figure in favor of staring at the floor. "Aren't you supposed to be eating dinner or somthin'?" I divert the questioning away from me in hopes of keeping this discussion of my physical status at bay.

"I don't need as much food nutrition as I do Chaos energy, and you know that, blue one. Now answer the question," he demands with fierce finality in his tone, indicated by the subtle drop in register of his voice.

I bare my teeth lightly as I attempt to get out of bed in a hurried fashion only for the huge ball connected to my stomach to throw off my coordination and make me look like a wobbling penguin as I move. I stand before Shadow with my ears tilted in aggression as I do as asked. "You want an answer? _Fine._ I look like a bloated _whale_ for Chaos' sake! I can hardly walk without it turning into some disfigured form of a waddle! I can't even… I can't even run anymore," I admit quietly in the end as my rant finally runs dry, the emotions inside me swimming and churning in a chaotic twister, making me feel that much more miserable.

Shadow doesn't answer for a while, which seems to confirm in my mind that he agrees with my choice of words until I hear the soft thuds of his specialized shoes making contact with the wooden floor as he approaches me. When he's directly before me, the warmth of his hand sinks into my chin as he lifts my head up in order to pierce me with his unwavering crimson gaze. "Hedgehog, you're two months pregnant. Of course you're going to get big."

I squeeze my eyes shut as these words register in my ears. _He sees it, too. Great… just great._

"But if it makes you feel any better, I think you look absolutely gorgeous."

 _Wha—?_ I reopen my eyes in disbelief to see that, yes, his eyes don't lie. He _actually_ believes my hideous whale-like appearance is gorgeous. "You're joking. You can't possibly think I look good like this," I tell him incredulously as I step away from him and cross my arms in defiance.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Sonic, and what I see is my mate growing more beautiful with each passing day. You're practically glowing," he informs me with the persuasion in his voice turned up to the max.

" _Sure I'm glowing,_ " I mutter sarcastically before continuing. "If I am, it's probably because of all the Chaos energy we shared so I wouldn't feel so weak."

"You're misunderstanding, hedgehog, but since you won't listen to reason, I'll just have to show you," he tells me ominously as the words sink in.

I swallow and turn my emerald eyes to gaze at his smirking visage when the feel of his strong hand clasps mine in a sturdy hold. I try to resist his pull when he begins to lead us out of the room, but I relent and follow him where he goes. In the living room Scourge and Amy are lying in front of the fireplace on a futon they purchased for their extended stay until the housework is complete.

Amy's giggling from whatever her green Chaos Bound just said abruptly stops as we pass through, and with a curious look upon her face she questions, "Where are you two going?"

"I'm showing Sonic something," Shadow immediately responds when my mouth opens to offer a scathing retort.

Sooner than is usually possible for me lately, we arrive outside, and the midsummer's air immediately takes this chance to surround us in warmth. My red-streaked obsidian mate leads me to the back of the house, and my eyes take in the work that's been done thus far. Shadow truly has a remarkable array of abilities if the architecture of this area is anything to go by.

I don't keep my sights on it for long, as Shadow comes to a stop when we're in an area with less trees clustered together, the trees having been removed to add on to the house, probably so that when our child gets older they'll have a place to play. I smile softly at that but try to hide my reaction from Shads. I still don't believe his words could possibly be true.

"Sonic… look up," Shadow's voice comes out quietly beside me where we stand.

I'm hesitant to do as he requests, but finally I lift my vibrant eyes up to see the sky… the very beautiful, star-filled sky. Every star from above is visible quite clearly from here, and I realize it's because of the elevation. My mouth opens slightly in awe as I see thin white streaks passing across the starry night, the light from above reflected beautifully in my eyes unbeknownst to myself.

Strong, warm arms envelop my waist lovingly, forcing me to tear my gaze away from the phenomenon happening up above. Slowly, ever so slowly, I watch as Shadow gradually closes the distance between us until his lips are a millimeter's distance from mine. His breath fans over my awaiting mouth tantalizingly for seconds, minutes, _hours_ it feels like as our gaze holds and locks in an intense connection. When he finally has mercy and closes the gap, my eyes close helplessly as a feeling like the most pleasant shocks tingle through my lips, as if the energy between us is becoming live.

The caress is slow, loving, passionate, conveying a message far more potent than words ever can. As his lips slowly separate from mine, I simply lean against him in pleasurable content, awaiting whatever words he has to say.

"Sonic, my love for you has nothing to do with being bound to you by Chaos. Nothing controls me against my will. I'm in love with you because of your inner strength, your drive to protect others from injustice, your odd quirks that can drive a person up a wall… your beauty."

I look down at this, but his hand immediately captures my chin so that I can look at him as he continues, "So when I say that I think you're gorgeous like this, _believe_ me, hedgehog."

It takes a moment of staring into his entrancing ruby red eyes for me to finally take his word as fact and give him a soft smile as I nod in acceptance. His eyes show relief as he lays his forehead upon mine and brings his hands down to my waist as he slowly begins to sway us to some unknown song. My face warms softly at the idea of dancing under the light of the stars—such an unbelievably romantic gesture—but I go along with it as I close my eyes and bask in the love we share.

* * *

That enough fluff for ya? ^.~ Get ready for the end of part one, next week!


	9. You Can't Have Shade Without Shadow

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. They all belong to SEGA.

The story, however, belongs to me.

Story Beta Read by: Pepper1622

 _This chapter is long because neither Pepper1622 or I could find a decent place to split it and since it was going to be the end of part one anyway, we ultimately decided it was best to just leave it as is. So enjoy the lengthiness!_

* * *

 **~9~**

 **-You Can't Have Shade Without Shadow-**

My eyes slowly roam around the room, taking everything in precisely so as to make sure that nothing is amiss, since this room will be the one my child will be living in. The roof is slanted just so in order for the small sunroof I installed to allow for minimal light to shine in from above. The window is directly across from the door, the room for the bathroom located on the left wall. It was quite easy to craft these rooms once I recalled my thorough study on house constructing. It wasn't something that I needed to study _per se;_ I just needed something to keep my mind focused at the time when things became particularly grueling with GUN.

This room lies completely bare of furniture, just brown walling and floors to greet one as they look about. After breakfast this morning when I felt it fitting to show Sonic—and as a result the pink one—what myself and that Scourge fellow managed to accomplish, my blue treasure had smiled beautifully and leaned in to give me a slow kiss as thanks. My hands of their own accord had slipped to his full waist in order to pull him back for a more passion-filled kiss. And by the feel of things, at the time I was ready and willing to take things further…

Judging by the fact that he's not currently in our bed right now as I make gentle yet sensual love to him, _someone_ clearly had to speak up at the time.

And that someone was _her_.

If I recall, her exact words were: "Oh my goodness! This is amazing, you guys! I have the greatest idea! How about Sonic and I go and pick out the furniture for the room? You guys have done so much—it only seems fitting that we do something, too!" Clearly just an excuse to go shopping like a madwoman. I abhorred the idea immediately. Sonic is getting rather close to his approximate due date, and him being out of my sight just sends off alarms like a thief being in way over his head.

My disapproval was clearly displaying in waves throughout the room because Amy had wandered over to me with a small smile before holding her hand out to her side. A fluctuation in her Chaos energy revealed a large, ornate hammer in her grasp as the almost innocent smile turned a little wicked, as did her next words. "Don't worry, Shadow. If anyone tries to mess with Sonic, they'll have to have a friendly conversation with my hammer first."

Sonic had laughed nervously while rubbing the back of his head in a sheepish manner, and Scourge shook his head with a smirk while gazing at the fiery pink hedgehog who'd stood before me. I'll admit, her approach was favorable, as I have a feeling she'll follow through with her words, but the idea of letting my hedgehog go out there without me in such a state sent dread through my veins like poison in a lesser being's system.

But... upon gazing into his green eyes at the time, I found no such worries there and decided to give in with a nod, which leaves me here with a Mobian who looks like, but isn't, my better half.

"This really is a nice place we built here, ain't it?" the more boastful hedgehog comments while thrusting his arm around my shoulder.

I practically burn it with my stare before I thankfully feel it retreat. He holds his hands up in a clear mocking sense as he speaks up. "Still not a touchy kind of guy yet, huh? That's fine. I still think you're all right." His "superior," condescending accent has yet to grow on me.

"Still not talkin' either. Well, I got words enough for the both of us." Out of the corner of my eye, I see him move to the chair he brought into this room while we await our better halves. I, of course, declined his offer for a seat.

"So how're things going with you and Blue Boy? If I have to say, things are going _pret-ty_ well with me and Rose." The sly tone he uses lets me know just what he's speaking of.

With a slight sneer growing upon my face, I grudgingly answer, "Our relationship is fine."

Silence.

"Ya sure about that, buddy? If sound is anything to go by, things are pretty strained in the bedroom…"

 _The audacity of this hedgehog._ With flaring eyes I watch as he sits there nonchalantly in his chair, the leather jacket covering his pelt giving him an aura that practically screams "I don't give a fuck." Knowing that giving him a tongue-lashing would do no good, I respond as frigidly as physically possible, "Just because I have consideration enough to take in the fact that he's _pregnant_ and might not want to have sex every night like you and that Rose girl doesn't mean things are 'strained in the bedroom.'"

Just as I predicted, he turns to me with a deliberate gaze, words of stupidity already being spoken. "So you heard us? My gal insisted that we keep it down out of respect, but with me you can only hold back for so long."

Fighting the urge to pull a hand over my face, I manage to respond without baring my teeth in frustration. "Is that all the relationship is to you? Sex?"

He waves a hand at my question without a care, and then I actually hear an answer that seems somewhat redeemable. "Nah. I may not like all the shopping and girl talk, but Rose is pretty amazing. I wouldn't trade 'er for the world."

And with that the room is finally allowed to slip into a semi-companionable silence.

~XxoOoxX~

The house was once again full of hedgehogs by that afternoon, delightful delivery men of all species carrying in a large quantity of supplies one will need if they happen to be new parents. Ushering them to the newly built bedroom, Sonic's waist is cradled in the arm of his lover as lips gently graze against his cheek, completely stopping him in his tracks.

"Good to see that you're okay," Shadow murmurs quietly as he lifts his hand in front of the other to reveal a plate of bursting sandwiches.

"Mmm! I'm starving! This'll really hit the spot, Shads!" The Blue Blur's train of thought immediately trails off to the food at hand once it's in his sight.

"Yeah, I figured. Come. Let's direct them to where you wish to have the furniture placed."

Sonic nods as he begins to stuff his mouth, leaving the two other hedgehogs in the room to their own accord.

"You think we should help them?" Amy asks with a curious expression.

"Mmm, we've done our part. I think it's 'bout time to leave," Scourge responds after looking around for a bit.

The pink Mobian's bottom lip purses as she reluctantly agrees. "I guess you're right, but can I at least tell you about our trip before we go? I mean, we didn't even get to have lunch…"

"You're just lookin' for an excuse to stay longer," the green hedgehog says with a flat look.

"Yeah, pretty much" is the utter admittance.

"Fine, but after we hit the road," he concedes.

"Sure thing, Scourgy!"

After whipping up a quick bowl of soup for the two, Amy immediately launches into an extensive play-by-play of the morning, subsequently overloading her mate's brain to the point where her words become a garbled mess in his brain.

"So since Sonic and Shadow don't know what their kid is going to be, we decided to just go with a color scheme revolving around midnight blue. Sonic didn't think it was a neutral color because it's a blue color, but I told him that it most certainly _was_. Once he got over his silly denial, though, picking out furniture became really easy. We even got this cute rocking chair!"

"Sounds nice, Ames," Scourge mutters as his two cents, although he knows she won't really hear it.

"But the weird thing is, he was acting kind of strange the whole morning," she adds while bringing a spoon up to her mouth contemplatively.

This actually draws her Bound's attention. "Really? How so?" Behind the two, the delivery movers quietly exit after having placed all of the furnishing as told, hardly being acknowledged by the two conversing Mobians in the dining area.

"Well, he seemed to fidget a lot and shift his weight on his legs from time to time. I thought that maybe he was going into labor or something, but he assured me that he was fine. Just feeling a little strange. He didn't want me to worry, but hearing those words would obviously make a person worry—especially when he's this pregnant," she explains while gesturing her spoon around with her speech.

"If he does go into labor, I'm sure he and Shadow will be able to handle it. Our time here is over," Scourge concludes while picking up their bowls and placing them in the sink for later cleaning.

"Aww. _Fine._ But at least let me say good-bye to them," she relents while turning in the direction of the new room only to see Sonic leading Shadow out of it by hand with a small flush of embarrassment on his cheeks. He barely even takes notice of the two guests wishing to say a farewell in his haste to retreat to their room.

"Hey, uh, Sonic? Scourge and I were gonna go now, so we just wanted to say good-bye and we'll see you after the baby's born…?" Amy hesitantly states in a questioning tone as she observes the blue hedgehog's behavior.

"Oh! Right… thanks for all the help, guys! This wouldn't have happened so smoothly if you guys hadn't have come, so we really appreciate it." His response is nothing but sincere—he offers a quick thumbs-up and a smile to the two in show of this—although somewhat rushed as he tugs the nearly stoic hedgehog behind him more persistently into their room before shutting the door behind them.

Little brows furrowed in confusion, Amy voices her concerns to her life partner, who's standing with his hands behind his quilled head in a casual pose, looking completely carefree. "Don't you think that was a little weird?"

"What? No. Shadow's always like that," he responds with a smirk that he knows will get her face red in irritation.

Hands squarely upon her hips, she scowls at his attempts to be "funny." "You know very well what I mean, mister."

"Yeah, yeah. Come on, let's take a look and see what the problem is…" Mischievousness is a clear factor in his behavior as he wanders quietly to the closed door.

Pure shock colors the female's face at his nerve, and she tries quickly to pull him away from the closed wooden door before any trouble can form. "Are you _crazy_? Shadow would kill us if he found out! And what if they're… _you know_."

He shushes her and remains unmoved from her frenzied attempts to stop his plan, placing his gloved hand lightly on the brass doorknob. "Shads told me earlier that he's being all 'considerate' and whatnot to Blue Boy's needs, so I doubt that's what they're doin'. Besides, you're the one who's all concerned for your friend. I imagine you'd want to find out more than me." A raised eye ridge in her direction tempts Amy into joining in on his crazy plan, until finally she obliges with a wary nod.

Turning the knob quietly to open the door, the two peek in to take a gander at what's going on behind closed doors. Sonic lying on his back with a red streak across his muzzle as Shadow seemingly observes something between his parted legs is not an image they expected to see.

"—all day. Is there anything wrong?" Sonic's voice filters in to the two spying Mobians.

The swallow Shadow takes is nearly audible to the two outside of the door before his rather controlled voice answers the question. "It would appear that the, uh, birthing canal has fully developed."

 _Birthing canal?_ the two think almost simultaneously in surprise just as Shadow moves slightly, allowing them to see a bit _too_ much.

"Birthing canal? That doctor did say something about it. Don't girls have that?" Sonic asks curiously while rubbing a finger pensively through the fur on his head.

"Yes, they do…" Shadow answers in a much deeper tone as his restrain slips and his hands begins to subtly run along the sides of his pregnant counterpart.

Amy blushes vividly while covering her mouth while her significant other covers his mouth for an entirely different reason—fear of laughing out loud.

"Well, it's good that I'm fully prepared for the baby now, huh?" Sonic chuckles softly as he apparently misses the hints Shadow is giving him.

"…Sonic? Do you mind if I give it a test drive? Make sure it's prepared for later…?" At this Amy pulls Scourge from the door and closes it neatly behind them, the sound of his guffaws following not shortly after.

"Wow! That was _rich_! You two really are inexperienced with sex. As for Shadow, I have to give Blue props. That's more than I ever got outta him."

"Well, what do you think, Scourge? We fought Eggman for a great deal of our lives. There were no 'Sex Ed' classes. We were definitely above sullying our minds with thoughts of sex anyway." Amy tries to play off the matter with a cross of her arms and a turn up to her nose.

A faint, breathless moan fills the room, completely ruining her efforts and leads her mate into pulling her towards the exit of the house. "Well, from the sounds of it, that's not a factor anymore." And with that the house is two occupants less.

~XxoOoxX~

Nearly every day this week, I felt compelled to come out to the backyard and gather the softest ferns and brush I could lay my hands on—all without Shadow's notice. I managed this feat by saying I was going for a bit of fresh air, which is technically true.

I waddle to the front door right now, feeling about ready to burst with how close I am to the date of arrival. I open the door quietly before stepping outside into the lightly warm air, September having just come. I make my way hesitantly to the back of the house with caution because Shadow isn't really aware that I'm out here right now, being asleep and all.

Tails just told me over the phone not long ago how careful I should be, but I have this unrelenting urge to be in my little brush-filled area. My feet crunch lightly as I amble along in the grass, the leaves in the pine trees just barely starting to change color. My eyes land on the large pile of cushion hidden just where the forest starts to thicken again.

With childlike delight as I feel my little tail begin to wag, I move to the area and settle there eagerly, enjoying the comfort the smell of nature seems to give me. From this point of view, I can see the house just fine, so I'm not really lost or anything. If Shadow needs to, he can find me.

With a gentle smile I look down at my bulging belly and give it a little rub. "Hey there, little one. It's almost time to meet you, ya know?" The breeze much cooler than the average summer air blows through the yard for a moment before settling down. "I wonder what you're going to be. I kind of want you to be a girl, but I really wouldn't mind if you were a boy either."

I feel a rather rough movement in my stomach for a while and twist in slight discomfort as a result. The little hedgie's been moving a lot like this lately, I've come to notice. When it finally settles down, I let out a relieved breath before I speak again. "You really want to get out of there, huh? …well, Shadow I think wouldn't mind either way. He just wants a little you to guide and protect."

The baby moves around a little more persistently before settling down hopefully for a longer time. Shadow normally wouldn't be resting so late in the day, but he was up all night soothing my stomach because the baby wouldn't stop moving so that I could get some rest. He tells me he's gotten too used to sleeping full nights and he'll have to readjust back to his old methods of using his Chaos energy if he's going to help out with the baby late at night efficiently.

I frown at the thought, not liking him forgoing such a necessity, but he insisted it would be required once the baby came.

A loud yawn leaves my lips unexpectedly, interrupting me from my thoughts. "I guess I need a nap too, huh?" I say to no one in particular as my eyes begin to slip closed.

~XxoOoxX~

An abrupt drop in Chaos energy surges me from my light rest, forcing me to sit up in bed sharply. A quick sense of the area tells me what I already know: Something is happening with Sonic. In seconds I've scoured the house for his form, thinking that maybe he'd be in the kitchen or even the baby's room, but my search comes up empty.

As I open the front door with a brutal tug, my worry-ridden crimson eyes roam the visible area before me, only seeing the grass and pines trees staring back at me—no blue hedgehog in sight. Cursing under my breath, I quickly move towards the back of the house, seeing as I can sense him around close by. That must be where he'd wandered off to.

Once I've rounded the house, my impeccable vision spots him lying in what appears to be some sort of… nest? My hearing picks up his sounds of distress, and I'm at his side before I can even make the conscious decision to move. Taking in his squirming and the sight of slightly damp fur and foliage underneath his legs, I can put the pieces together on my own.

"How long have you been like this, hedgehog?" I ask with a firm calm while placing my hand on his forehead as I take note of his relatively high body temperature.

"I… I d-don't know. I woke up like this, Shadow!" he tells me with clear pain in his voice, the emerald of his eyes looking wrought with it as well.

I nod knowingly. "Hmm, you do tend to sleep pretty hard."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" The demand is heated before he closes his eyes tightly as an agonized whimper is torn from him. _About 210 seconds. He must really have been oblivious to it all for it to have gotten this far._

I move my hand to hold his, taking in his crushing grip easily while moving to see just how far along he is. This is actually a little out of my knowledge of study, as learning how to deliver a baby was something my superiors thought would be very un-beneficial despite Professor Gerald's insistence. I only know what I gleaned from the movies Maria watched at times.

"How's it l-look, Shads?" Sonic asks while trying to sit up, giving up almost as soon as he attempts to move as the effort is far too strenuous right now.

Observing his birthing canal with a critical eye, I voice as best I can what I'm supposed to be looking for. "From what I understand, I believe I'm supposed to be looking for how far you've dilated… it looks to be about seven centimeters."

 _"Seven?_ Is that bad?" Sonic asks as his breathing starts to become irregular with his next bout of pain.

Moving my forehead to rest against his, I rub my hand as soothingly as I can along his lower stomach and offer words of calm. "Breathe, hedgehog, breathe… good, that's good. You can do this." When the wave passes through him, his eyes flutter open slowly, revealing gratefulness doused in exhaustion. "I should have paid more attention and things would never have gotten this far without attention. We need to get you to a hospital immediately, Sonic."

"N-no, Shads, I wanna do it here," he admits with a weak smile.

My calm composure breaks for a moment before it slides back into place once his frame is overtaken with a contraction once more. Running my hand along the fur of his head as comfortingly as possible, I mentally monitor everything I'm able to. _Breathing: slightly labored. Heart rate: elevated. Body temperature: a little above normal. Chaos energy . . . dangerously low._ Scrutinizing him critically, I come to realize just as his breathing begins to even out again that his Chaos level dips with his contractions. _I pray to whoever's willing to offer mercy that this doesn't mean what I believe it to be._

"Why? I don't have the knowledge required for this situation. It really would be best…" I finally respond while gazing into his eyes in earnest.

"N-no files on th-that, huh?" my strong mate asks jokingly with a small wince.

"Unfortunately." My eyes stare seriously into his weakened emeralds. "Which is why I believe we should relocate you to a hospital."

His face twists in agony for a moment as he tries desperately to hold in his pain, but in doing so his breathing is thrown off, allowing his heart rate to skyrocket as his control slips. Feeling a bit panicked myself as the sounds of his tortured cries reach my ears, my voice comes out commanding while my touch remains comforting. "No, no, focus on me, blue one. You have to _breathe_. Holding back the pain to deal with later isn't going to work with this, hedgehog."

I see the barest hint of a nod before he attempts to match my pace of breathing, managing to get through this wave of pain. "I've… I've got to tell ya, Shads, th-this is a lot harder than I th-thought it would be."

"I can only imagine," I tell him honestly before making a decision. "Let me retrieve one of the Emeralds so we can make a quick transport to the hospital. I'll only be—"

"No."

"We've been over this, Sonic," I say with restrained exasperation.

"I made this nest thing f-for a reason. Clearly I wanted to ha-have it here. Even if you d-don't know much about delivering babies, I still be-believe you can get me through this."

Our eyes hold for a moment before he's lost to what's becoming familiar pain, but he listens to my earlier words and doesn't have as much trouble with this one because of it.

With a heavy sigh I massage his abdomen as he comes down from the pain, giving my answer as I do so: "…fine. I will do my best to bring our little one into this world. Just… give me a few minutes to gather what I can. You'll have to be on your own. Can you handle that?"

He's nodding before I even finish the question. "Yeah, sure, Shadow. J-just don't stay for too long."

I move forward, pressing our lips together sweetly in answer, sensing his high temperature in the touch. Moving in a blur, I arrive in the kitchen, allowing myself a moment to gather my wits. _Maria… he believes in me so deeply. It's almost frightening at times. What if I let him down? I don't know what I'd do with myself if I ever let that happen._

A phantom touch from a once warm hand pats me on my crown of spikes in my head of memories; the sound of her voice almost reaches my ears as I try desperately to imagine what she would say to me in this situation.

" _Oh, Shadow! You worry too much. Nobody's perfect. Mistakes are bound to be made. You just have to find the strength to forgive yourself when you happen to mess up."_

"I'll try, Maria…" I promise shakily. Making a quick list of items that I'll probably need, I take out a silver pot and fill it with water, raising my hand above it as I begin to pull upon my energy. Golden blue light swirls around my hand before I direct it into the pan, watching as it absorbs and heats to a dangerous level.

"Okay, water needed to sterilize objects: check. Next I need scissors, towels, and, um… isn't some type of clamp used as well?" Not dwelling on it much longer as a few minutes have passed already, I scramble around the house, quickly and efficiently gathering said items, the clamp having to be a substituted hair clamp that Rose left over.

Placing the items that need disinfecting in the boiling water, I quickly make a dash for the bedroom in retrieval of one last item. As I'm taking out the titanium case the fox kit gave us during his visit not too long ago in order to store the Chase Emeralds so that they can fully restore their energy and also to stop any of said energy from exuding unnecessarily, my hand lands on a random gem. Warping to the kitchen, I gather the towels carefully and then, wrapping my hand in a temporary barrier of energy so that I can hold the steaming pan, I warp to Sonic's side just as he's coming down from another contraction.

His eyes take in the hot pan with a raised eyebrow as I sit it a proper distance from him. "How'd you do that?"

"A simple manipulation of Chaos energy. I'll teach you sometime," I explain as I move a towel to lie just under him for when the baby arrives and keep the other for another purpose. "How are you holding up?" I ask as I begin to inspect him again. _Breathing: slightly labored. Heart rate: somewhat elevated…_

"I'm doing fine… well, the pain isn't anything to laugh about, but—" He cuts off abruptly as his body writhes in agony, sweat far more obvious in his fur as tortured little whines escape him.

 _Shit, that was only 118 seconds! This is moving far faster than I expected._ Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, I look at his exposed entrance, examining it closely and noting with slight alarm the centimeter-widening he managed to pull while I was away.

It takes him just a bit longer to come down from the heightened pain, but when he does he says, completely out of breath, "I kn-know that look. No matter how h-hard you try to hide it. What's wrong?"

"You're nearly there. Eight centimeters now. It shouldn't be long now," I tell him seriously.

His lips curl up marginally as his eyes begin to squint against the lingering pain. "Well, th-that's good. Baby'll be here s-soon."

"Yes. That's true." With no other choice but to wait it out, I devote all of my attention to making this as painless as possible for him by holding his hand; massaging his abdomen, sides, and lower back; and offering encouraging words whenever I feel he really needs them.

"Sh-Shads?" his voice, usually so strong and carefree, now riddled with pain, _weak_ , speaks out gingerly after what seems like an endless chain of contractions.

"Yes, Sonic?" Just seeing him like this makes me want to take all of his suffering and wield it myself. I'd gladly do it if it were at all possible, just to see his spirit brighten again.

"I'm… I-I'm hot… I n-need something cool… please." This is exactly what I was predicted would occur, which is why I planned accordingly. Taking the items out of the water and placing them upon the towel I left untouched, I move my hand atop the water and start to reabsorb the energy that was keeping it heated to such a level to begin with, reducing it back to its cool temperature.

Retrieving the smallest towel in my collection, I quickly place it in the water, wring it dry of water, and then run it through the fur along his head and neck, hoping to cool him some.

"Mmm. Nice… th-thanks, Shads," he murmurs as he tries to take in its comfort to help fight against the pain.

My lips brush against his briefly. "I'll do what I can to help you. No need for thanks."

Nearly an hour passes before things begin to escalate. The time has come, and my blue hedgehog definitely lets me know about it.

" _Urgghh! I swear, I'll cut that precious manhood of yours clean off if you ever come near again!"_ His rage is fierce and welcoming during what I believe to be the true labor. Whatever verbal slaying he wishes to dish out is completely fine with me, just as long as he continues to fight to bring our baby into this world.

"That's perfectly fine, hedgehog. I'll do whatever you want. You're doing well, by the way," I say complacently while watching the progress he makes with each push.

His eyes snap to me with pure vexation smoldering in their emerald depths. _"Damn you, Shadow! Stop talking like that or I swear I'm gonna strangle you—! Next time_ YOU'RE _carrying the kid!"_

A slow smirk spreads on my face. _That's my blue one._ A sudden change draws my eyes to his lower region, allowing me to take note of the dark fur beginning to become exposed. "Sonic, I think I see the head. You're very nearly there."

" _I want it out! I need it out!"_ he cries out desperately; I take my gaze off the new appearance as I take in his exhausted form with a cringe to my heart. His face is flushed in exertion; sweat mats his fur in sticky clumps; his breaths come out irregularly; and his heart rate is far too inconsistent. He's right: the child needs to be delivered— _now._

"You can do this. You're almost there. I believe in you, hedgehog," I state with a true sense of urgency, all of my calm bravado lost to the seriousness of the situation.

"Okay. O-okay…" he agrees shakily before pushing like his life depends on it—and maybe it does.

It's nothing like the movies, all sweet and sugar-coated. No, there's agony, screaming, _crying_ , blood, fluids, and sweat. Everywhere. I'm completely out of my element, and yet staring at my Bound mate giving birth to our little hedgehog right now, I wouldn't choose to be anywhere else.

My hands, large and warm, catch the little squirming thing in the towel just as it enters this world. Delicately, like it's fragile glass, I begin to clean all of the fluids and blood that mat its fur, realizing as I do so that the color is a deep midnight like mine, only the highlights are different. The color is cobalt, only shifting into the familiar blood red at the very ends.

I can't seem to take my eyes away from this new life as I mechanically clip the umbilical cord then secure the clamp; it's only when it begins to squirm and whimper in distress that I realize I haven't check to see what gender it is. A brief examination leads to a nice discovery.

A son.

 _I have a son._

"Sonic, we—" I stare at him, frozen as the words die in my mouth, my heart surely going still instantly.

Lifeless. That is the word that truly describes the hedgehog before me. Not a breath, not a pulse, and his Chaos energy seeps out of him like water through your fingers. The fawn fur, upon further inspection, is slowly beginning to turn deathly pale as my heart struggles to even grasp the fact that the very warmth I love so much about him is leaching away with each passing second.

"Oh, god, _Sonic!"_ Horror and grief grip me like a vice, strangling the very breath and rationale from my mind, and I realize I should've been watching him, should've paid closer attention. I _knew_ this was a possibility, damn it! _I knew_.

The baby begins to cry softly in my arms, and I look down at him, at his emerald eyes, and I very nearly crumble and break right then and there. "I have to save you. There has to be a way to save you! You… you haven't even met your son, Sonic. You can't leave. Y-you can't leave me," I say brokenly as I try to think of a solution. This isn't something as simple as giving him my Chaos energy. Then he was just weak, as he was sharing his energy with the baby. This—he's losing his energy. He's not replenishing it, and if I can't figure out how to fix the problem soon, it'll be—

Sitting the little bundle next to his mother, I rack my mind for anything Gerald told me about Chaos energy that can help in this situation. Anything at all.

" _Now, Shadow, you must remember: Chaos energy to you is like the life energy—or blood—in us humans. Lose too much of it and you die, but this also means that you can use similar methods of revival if the time ever comes. Although there really shouldn't be a reason to do such a thing, seeing as I created you so that such acts wouldn't be necessary. Hehe, I guess this can just be the tip of the day, say, Shadow?"_

With a rush I come back to the present and immediately get a handle on the purple Chaos Emerald I brought with me, happy that I don't have to waste time seeking it, as his level of energy is very nearly gone. Placing my hand not holding the gem upon the center of his chest, I concentrate on his core energy and send a sharp pulse of power from the gem straight to it. I recall the purpose of defibrillators and how this is the equivalent to an electric shock to the heart, only I need to revive his very essence in order for his survival to win through.

"You can do this, Sonic!" I send a pulse through him with no response, only the continued relinquishing of life.

"You must live!" Another wave of energy, with little signs of his return.

"Y-you can't leave!" My vision wavers slightly as salty tears begins to build in my eyes, but I refuse to give up.

I can't give up.

And yet my body sags and collapses against him like my very reason for being simply abandoned me, leaving me to wallow and wither like a weighted corpse, after I send yet another wave of energy only to feel the last vestiges of life bleed from his body. _You can't go… I love you. I love you so much. P-please._

Our son's cries sound in my ears, and I find the barest amount of strength in order to reach over and cradle him carefully in my arms. It destroys me like never before to know that he'll never meet his mother, that Sonic will never be by my side again. "I'll take care of you and love you, little one… for him." Honestly, if our son wasn't here, I'd surely cease to exist alongside him.

Just as I kiss the brow of the little hoglet's head, my hearing picks up the faintest breath, the weakest heartbeat; but more importantly I sense the slow, painstakingly slow, rejuvenation of Chaos energy. Watching Sonic with hesitant hope and baited breath, I begin to see his hue returning slightly, his chest rising and falling weakly.

My breath heavy with relief rushes out of me as I move to nuzzle my cheek against his, grateful for the warmth that begins to return to his touch. "You're alive, dear god, _you're alive._ " My elation is contagious, as even our son seems to notice Sonic, his cries settling as he takes in his resting mother with an intense gaze. "I won't fail you again. I _refuse_. I'll do everything in my power to keep you in this world… even if that means sacrificing myself. You're far too important to me, blue one."

He may not be conscious to hear the words I speak now, but I'll prove my vow to him every single day if I have to. Just to keep him with me.

~XxX~

"I'm fine, Shads, _really_ ," he emphasizes from his confined state in our bed.

"You almost _died_ ," I stress to him, still feeling quite haunted by the idea of very nearly losing him. It's been a few hours since the fiasco, late afternoon bleeding into that of late night. Sonic's power is on a steady journey of recovery, but he's still rather weak. Our argument lies around that fact.

"Yes, 'almost,' but didn't. I'm sorry for scaring you, but you don't have to try and take care of Shade on your own."

Shade the Hedgehog. That's the name Sonic gave him the moment he laid eyes on the little bundle of quills. I was perplexed at first until he looked at me lovingly and uttered, "You can't have shade without shadow." Essentially he's naming our son after me, something I feel honored by as well as undeserving of, but he refused to change his mind—which in the end I knew he wouldn't.

I look down at the fussing baby in my arms right now, trying unsuccessfully to calm him down. He's been fed—surprisingly before I could get the bottle, seeing as he found a source from a blushing Sonic himself. Not as much as he needed, because Sonic's chest is nearly flat and can only hold so much, but enough to hold him off until an actually bottle could be made. He's been changed—that was an experience in and of itself—and now he won't go to sleep for some reason.

"Just let me try, Shadow. I'm fine, believe me."

I want so desperately to take the burden on myself so that he doesn't have to so much as lift a finger, but I know he'd never let me follow through with such a thing.

Handing the dark-furred hedgehog to his mother, I watch in fascination as my blue mate cradles him carefully and seems to gain a thoughtful look as he slowly rocks the fussing child.

"I think I remember a song my mom used to sing to me—the melody, actually. Since I don't really remember the words, I'll just wing it, okay, little Shade?" he murmurs to the baby with a playful lilt to his voice before his mouth opens again and a surprising melodious voice carries forth.

" _Hush little baby, don't say a word,_  
 _Mommy's gonna buy you a flicky bird._

 _And if that flicky bird won't sing,_  
 _Mommy's gonna buy you a Chaos ring._

 _And if that Chaos ring won't shine,_  
 _Mommy's gonna buy you a Mystic vine._

 _And if that Mystic vine gets broke,_  
 _Mommy's gonna buy you a sailing boat._

 _And if that sailing boat, well, sinks,_  
 _Mommy's gonna buy you a dog and leash._

 _And if that dog and leash run away,_  
 _Mommy's gonna kiss all the hurt away._

 _'Cause no matter what this silly rhyme says,_  
 _Mommy's gonna love you, little Shade._ "

 _Magnificent._ With the grace and skill of a true caregiver, he managed to sing our baby to sleep with laughs, nuzzles, and little kisses all the while. Striding forward to gingerly take the child from his arms and place him gently in the crib I brought temporarily into this room, I turn to him with a truly mystified gleam in my eyes.

"How did you do that? Learn to sing and everything?" I breathe out as I move and settle into the bed at his side, wrapping my arms around his waist as we snuggle down.

"Well, I was in a band… a long time ago." His eyes take on a lost look before he snaps back to me with a bright smile. "But it doesn't really matter. What's important is that you learn to forgive and let go. What happened earlier wasn't your fault. Don't try to take this all on yourself. He's my son too, so I'm going to help whether you like it or not."

A lengthy exhale ruffles the fur along his chest as I have my face resting in his neck. "Since I know an argument with you can hardly ever be won, I concede, but that won't stop me from doing everything in my power to prevent such events from happening again."

"You wouldn't be you if you didn't."

* * *

 _ **:: Part One End ::**_

* * *

I actually had that song written way back when I was writing chap 4 and I was like: "This song _will_ be put in this story someway damnit!" XD

The ending of the first part has come and now we move onto the more, eh, _darker_ and _revealing_ chapters I suppose. I really enjoy part 2 and I hope you guys will, too... unintentional rhyme there, heh.


	10. When Worlds Collide

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. They all belong to SEGA.

The story, however, belongs to me.

Story Beta Read by: Pepper1622

* * *

 **:: Part Two: People Are Complicated ::**

" _People are complicated. People have secrets. It doesn't make them good people or bad people."_

-David Zayas

* * *

 **~10~**

 **-When Worlds Collide-**

Everyone absolutely loves little Shade. As soon as I was well enough in Shadow's eyes, he allowed me to call Tails and inform him of the little one's arrival. I knew of course that it wouldn't be long before Amy got the news, and Shadow himself spoke with Rouge over the phone about it too. Before I knew it, something called a "baby shower" was planned, and everyone was here just as fall officially came.

The leaves were mostly a bright orange, some dark red in color or even yellow as they lay scattered about the yard at the gathering. The wind was cool and refreshing, and it inspired a smile on each person's visage. Being only a couple of weeks old by then, Shade had an interesting reaction to meeting our friends. He cooed and squirmed playfully in the arms of Rouge, Amy, and even Cosmo. Tails unfortunately managed to get his fluffy fur pulled a bit, although it didn't hurt him that much due to how weak Shade's grip still is.

Scourge seemed a little reluctant to even hold the little guy and only did so at the goading of his fiery mate. Honestly, just seeing Shade's mystified look as he tried to figure out why the two of us looked alike was rather cute.

The funniest part of the event was when Knuckles took his turn. Hands far larger than the average Mobian took hold of the small child, nearly swallowing him in his grasp as Knuckles began to gaze at the little hedgehog in abstract curiosity, as if he couldn't quite figure out how such a little thing could exist.

The party wasn't just about celebrating Shade's arrival into this world—it gave everyone a chance to catch up and reconnect, so it left me with a heavy heart when it was time to see everyone off. I made sure to pull Tails into a tight hold and ruffle Cosmo's radiant green hair playfully before they hopped into the Tornado. It would probably be a while before we all gathered up like that again, after all.

Having a kid isn't as hard as I thought it would be. It's like starting all over with Tails, except all lot more attention is involved. I can't wait until Shadow allows me to take Shade out more. Little adventures around Mobius with Shade will be _awesome!_

Right now, though, the soft crackling sound of the fire dances in my ears as I sit on the sofa directly across from the fireplace with Shade nestled in my crossed legs, my hands supporting him from behind as he giggles at the silly faces and words I'm saying to him.

"Aren't you just a cute little boy? Yes, you are! _Yes, you—"_

"Sonic."

My enthusiasm is cut short as Shadow walks into the room with a raised eyebrow, although the humor he feels is hard to miss in his eyes.

"Yeah, Shadow?" I ask innocently as I watch Shade turn in said hedgehog's direction and give the cutest smile.

My counterpart approaches us and rubs the head of our little son affectionately as he turns his crimson orbs on me with his injury. "What exactly are you doing with him?"

I pout and pull Shade up so that he's held in my arms and gaze up, my expression probably appearing like one of a sulky child who just got reprimanded. "I was just playin' with him, Shads."

He rolls his eyes fondly and goes to tell me just _why_ I shouldn't be doing that—at least right now. "You know we promised to go to the kitsune's home to decorate for Christmas with them. You yourself said you still didn't want to miss out on that opportunity with the four—well, five—of us."

With a sigh, I nod in agreement. "Yeah, it's always a fun occasion. It'll be way past cool with all of us there, though! Then later we can decorate here together, you know, as a family for the first time," I add with a warm smile, getting lost in the sea of affection Shadow displays at these words.

"Yeah…" His voice trails off as he leans down, brushing our lips together chastely before melding them more securely. I sigh into his touch, securing my grip on the slightly squirming hedgie in my arms as I feel the warm, wet prodding of Shadow's tongue against my lips.

As a shiver begins to travel down my spine, I pull back in surprise when I feel a familiar suction beginning to take place at my chest. Looking down, I see Shade having an early lunch. Red begins to color my face, and I look up at Shadow with an imploring glance.

"He has your stomach, you know," he tells me with a small smirk before heading in the direction of the kitchen to get a bottle for the ravenous child. I haven't been able to exactly… _wean_ —I think the word is—Shade, so he still goes for the nearest source and, in his opinion, better-tasting produce. Thankfully, he'll drink either or.

Shadow comes back in no time with a bottle in hand, much to my relief. It's still an odd feeling feeding him like this, so I stick to bottles every chance I get. Removing Shade gently from my fawn chest, much to his displeasure by the scrunching up of his little face, I quickly give him the bottle, holding it steady when he finally decides to drink.

"That was actually the last of the formula. I'll have to make a trip to the store to restore our supply," Shadow informs me, looking apologetic.

My cat-like ears twitch for a moment in confusion as I wonder aloud, "How'd we let it get so low?"

"Well, I did try to insist on going to the store yesterday, but you were hell bent on keeping me next to you by the fire because it was 'especially cold' outside." His chuckle is riveting, the sound of it causing my heart to beat wildly for a moment. I don't think I'll ever get over how enticing he is to me.

"Y-yeah, I guess I did. So you'll only be gone for a little while? We still have to make the trip to Emerald Hill soon," I ask for reassurance.

"Of course." He leans down to kiss the furry head of his son and does the same to me before heading to the front door, grabbing the emerald green scarf he was given at the Baby Shower, and exiting with a flourish of freezing air. He doesn't really need to wear it, but it's a nice sentiment that he chooses to do so—especially since Amy was the gift-giver.

Amy didn't actually want to get Shadow and me scarves—mine's crimson in color—but the gift choice she was aiming for had been snagged by Rouge first, which led to jealous looks and childish pouting on her end when it was all over. I shake my head in remembrance. Girls can be pretty serious about gift shopping.

My eyes catch the sight of Shade just finishing up his bottle, and I remove it, placing it on the dark wood table before me, next moving to place the fidgeting baby over my shoulder as I learned early on so that he can be burped.

As soon as that's finished, I move him so that I can stare into a similar pair of green eyes, my smile widening on its own accord as I do so. "Daddy's gone out to get you some more milk, huh, little Shade? When he gets back we're gonna go visit your Uncle Tails and Aunt Cosmo! You're gonna like that, aren't you, cutie?" I coo brightly, earning happy babbles in return.

The harsh screams of Mobians successfully shatter the once peaceful moment like a gunshot in a room. I pull Shade to my chest in alarm because it shouldn't be possible to hear such commotion from this far away—unless something threatening just emerged.

Standing with my oblivious son in my arms, I make my way to the window facing the direction of the most populated area of Hill Top to see what's going on—except I can't seem to breathe, let alone comprehend the sight that greets me.

Expecting to see maybe Eggman finally making his return with some giant mech, I don't anticipate seeing what looks like the world coming to an end. What can only be described as a blood-like color begins to seep into the once white clouds, causing them turmoil and making them look positively demonic.

Unsure of what to make of this situation, I head to the door and grab the little warm jacket for Shade that was gifted to him from Rouge. Wrapping my scarf quickly around my neck, I open the door, allowing the chill to seep into my fur—distracting me for a moment—before I hurry in the direction of the chaos.

I have two instincts warring inside me right now: to protect the people and, more importantly, to get Shade to safety. With this in mind, I only plan to move as close to the situation as I dare to see what's going on. If it's something I can't handle with a baby in my arms, which I'm leaning towards the situation being, then I'll amscray out of the Zone to protect Shade. The thought of leaving Shadow behind for the moment, since I haven't the slightest clue where he could be in this confusion, causes my chest to tighten painfully, but I know he'd want me to do this for our son.

My feet leave a trail in the layer of snow that covers the ground, its beauty tarnished by the red lighting from above, making it seem like I'm running through blood-soaked snow. I try to shake the thought away as I go nearer to the screams, Shade beginning to fuss slightly at the disarray he can clearly hear.

Pressing my back against a tree when I'm as close as I dare, I peek around to see Mobians running in traumatized fear. Their cries and pleas of mercy grate on my ears like a shrill screech, pulling and tugging on my urge to help, but I… just can't. The beings that seem to hunt them are definitely horror worthy, some hulking humanoids like aliens, black and red in color, the others flying through the sky like prehistoric pterodactyls, these also sharing the unique coloring. The maws of each creature are wide, filled with sharp, dagger-like teeth, saliva dripping down sluggishly as they gaze upon what might soon be their next meal.

Just seeing this makes me want to hightail it out of this situation, and, just as I turn to do so, I come face to face with some kind of squid-like floating… eye? Despite its rather tame appearance, I don't let my guard down, pulling little Shade even closer to my chest in preparation for some kind of hasty attack.

Whatever this thing's got planned, I'm not letting it hurt my baby.

~XxoOoxX~

What in the _hell_ is going on here? I was nearly to the market when the atmosphere became ominous, filled with so much dread it was almost tangible; then the sky started bleeding, for God's sake, and now the Zone is being overrun by a small army of man-eating creatures. My priority shifted from getting formula to fighting off red-and-black creatures in hopes of preventing a bloodbath.

A little female rabbit scurrying in fear catches my eye, and I dash over, slamming my fist into the back of the skull of the looming alien attempting to make a meal of her. I just barely catch the grateful look in her watery chocolate eyes before the furious snarling of the beast reins in my attention.

A slightly devilish smile adorns my face as I get ready to battle. "You want to play? How about you have a little fun with me…?"

It charges with all the grace of a bear, making it far too easy to dodge. Somersaulting in the air so that I'm facing it, I change my direction so that my foot lodges right into its back, further angering it. Unfortunately, I wasn't expecting it to recover quickly enough to turn and take a wild swipe at me.

The impact has me skidding back in the snow for a moment as I brace my hands against the snow-covered ground to help slow down my momentum. I'm just raising my head when I see drops of deep red-almost-black blood falling in the snow. Standing up and looking at the snarling alien, I move my hand to my left side, bringing it into my view shortly to examine my blood-stained glove.

"You got a lucky shot. Too bad it'll be your last," I mutter darkly as I feel the Chaos inside of me beginning to churn in rage at the idea of this insignificant _cretin_ wounding me so. It must pay. Slowly… _painfully._

With a crazed grin, I surge forward and brace my hands against its chest, unleashing a high power of energy into it, just enough to where it won't kill it immediately, only give it the feeling of being slowly cooked alive from the inside.

Screeches, oh, inhumane sounds, begin to fill my ears as it struggles uselessly against my hold, the sound alone bringing unbidden a sadistic chuckle from my chest. "Struggle all you want, fool. Your time has come…"

Just as blood similar in color to mine begins to ooze from its orifices, I decide we're about even. At this I step back and watch as it falls, twitching from residual energy, then lies still, lifeless. I laugh at its pitiful appearance and then feel my side again, noting the almost completely healed injury. "Hmm. I guess there really was no reason to get so angry over the situation. Pity," I say with a considerable lack of shame in my voice.

Snow begins to crunch all around me, and it comes to my attention that these so-called creatures have attempted to surround me. Slowly trailing my eyes from side to side, my smile grows wide, as the opportunity to slay just presented itself. "Well, if you all insist."

"Shadow." The address is deep, rumbling, and, dare I say it, _dangerous_.

 _Has a real challenge presented itself by chance?_

I turn to who dared address me by name and take in the sight of a large floating menace. His eyes, all three of them, are vivid red, practically glowing as he glowers at me. Two long horns protrude from his noggin like those from cattle, and his garb is very much worn. Chains, jewels, and spiked ornaments decorate him like a Christmas tree. Definitely the leader of these wicked aliens, if you ask me.

Lowering into a defensive stance, I regard him with a patronizing glare. "How do you know me? Don't tell me you brought this party for little old me?"

If anything, his face gets darker as he looms closer, my Chaos energy nearly anticipating my next strike at the sight.

"It seems you've gotten a bit too cocky. No matter. Just as long as you agree to join me, it won't be a problem."

This brings me down a bit from my insanity as his words sink in. _Join him? Another offer? Again?_ "Who are you? What are you even talking about?" I demand as my rational side takes hold more firmly of my mentality and I begin to study him for his motives.

Looking rather exasperated over the situation, even though he has no right to, the being begins to float around me in a casual sense, forcing me to mentally take note of his location when I can't see him. "I am Black Doom, and what I speak of was cemented in stone long before you were created. Your creator, Professor Gerald Robotnik, promised me the seven Chaos Emeralds in return for the help of creating you. So you see, Shadow, I'm here to collect on that deal and offer you a chance to rule beside me. After all, my blood does run through your veins."

Like a cold shock to my system, my entire past seems to shatter. _W-was it all a lie? The… the Professor lied?_ The once jovial smiles of my once-looked-upon mentor, father figure even, seem to shift and change into devious smirks, like those of his grandson.

I hadn't realized I'd fallen to my knees, the cold of the soft ice beginning to leech into my fur, until the dark, menacing voice of Black Doom pierces the air again. "It's okay, Shadow. Many people in your life will deceive you, but I can guarantee that if you join me, you'll never have to worry about such travesties again. We will make others suffer. They will feel the pain, the _hurt_. You'll never feel lost again."

The words seem to be almost hypnotizing, like the limericks of a siren's call. I find myself nodding, agreeing to his terms, wanting to deal out punishment, to lay waste to those who oppose me. No one will be spared. No one will—

"Stay back you—you freaky squid thing!"

And just like that I can think again. It's like coming up from being submerged underwater, and I realize exactly what this tyrant was trying to do. Staring into his fuming eyes as the frustration of his failure consumes him attests this fact.

"You tried to manipulate me, _brainwash_ me _,_ you son of a bitch!" I seethe in barely consumed rage, my condensed breath escaping me in a puffs of white before my eyes.

"Yes, and it should have worked, regardless of interruption. What is special about that blue creature?" _Blue creature? …Sonic, that was_ Sonic _?_ _What in God's name is he doing here?_ My eyes snap to a lone tree a distance away, and the sight of him and Shade being examined quite closely by a levitating eye of all things has my heart lodged in my throat.

I move to stand… attempt to stand… _I-I can't move!_ A growl builds dangerously in my chest as I snap heatedly in the contemplating leader's direction, "What have you done to me?"

He doesn't seem at all bothered by my outburst, as he seems to be too busy looking at something only he can see. "Your reactions to that one are rather interesting. I can probably use this in my favor…"

The frenzied cries of my mate draw my eyes back to him like a magnet in time to see exactly why he's in distress. He can't move either, and that eye is moving closer, much too close… to Shade.

"Get back! _Stay away from my baby!"_ I can hear my son's cries from here, clearly in reaction to his mother's distress, and if it weren't for whatever Doom did to me, the threat would've been eliminated long ago.

The rumbles of a laugh force my attention to divide, my sights on Sonic, while my ears listen for any useful information Black Doom might let slip. "A child. I see…"

 _What?_ He's not even looking in Sonic's direction, which means—

The slimy tentacles of the eye, which seemed so innocent before, shoot out faster than the average eye can see, snatching Shade from Sonic's frozen grasp. " _Shade! No! Please!"_ His cries are wretched and wrought with an inner agony I can scarcely fathom, but I know one thing.

This stops _NOW._

Fueled by my determination, my love for my family, I do the once unmanageable and break free of the paralysis Doom tried to keep over me. I note the challenge in his venomous eyes, and at once his creations charge, their sights on me. My view, however, is on the fleeing eye that's heading towards the heart of the bleeding sky.

Using the enemy as stepping stones, I jump and propel myself skyward, feeling the cold wind cut against me as I go higher and higher, push harder and further, trying to reach desperately what's just out of my grasp. Feeling desperation take hold of me, I pull a last ditch effort to reach Shade, the sound of his fearful cries tearing at my heart with each wail he gives.

Willing my Chaos to unravel completely, the soft _chinks_ as my Inhibitor Rings come free allows me to propel forward on the last flying creature with everything I have. The last chance, the last attempt, the last… of me.

My hand extends forward as I draw nearer, my crimson eyes locking with the tearful eyes of emerald that forever haunt my mind and…

I begin to fall.

Shade seems to scream shrilly as I move away, falling rapidly towards the cold, hard ground. Watching as he grows smaller, distant, and then vanishes just cements the fact that was lodged into my brain the moment I allowed him to be taken.

 _I failed. Again._

The ground is harsh and unwelcoming in its greeting, knocking me senseless in punishment. As my eyes seem to swirl then slowly drift closed, the belittling face of that bastard appears above me, and I hear his words as well as the distant sound of Sonic's cries.

"Such insolence won't due. No. Not at all."

~XxoOoxX~

" _Sh-Shadow, no! Sh-Shade…"_ All I can seem to do is cry and scream. I can't move, I can't help, I can't do _anything._ Shadow just pulled the most heroic move I've ever witnessed, but it wasn't enough. He wasn't fast enough. And now he's lying there. Still. Without his Inhibitor Rings…

" _Oh, Chaos…"_ Stinging liquid trails down my cheeks, chilling in the cold, as I watch that large, creepy monster loom over his prone form.

His voice is so deep and loud that I manage to catch his words as he looks at Shadow more closely. "Every bone in your body, it seems. Well, it's best to get started now while you're out. Black Arms, gather him and the Rings. Let's leave for now."

The chill from staying still for so long has nothing on what his words just did to me. "Wh- _what_? You can't do that! Leave him alone! _Put him down, damn it!"_

The apparent leader just looks at me and then displays a smile so chilling I'm forced into silence, only allowed to watch as he and his minions leave, disappearing into the red sky, taking with them the little family I only just barely obtained.

I fall to my knees so suddenly, it's like a string was keeping me in place before, but the connection was severed, allowing me to move and do as I please. All a little too late. _Th-they're not gone. They can't be. They can't!_

A sonic boom rockets through the area as I allow my volatile emotions to take over, driving me in the direction of help, level-headedness. I care not for the tears that refuse to leave my eyes, even at these speeds, nor for the scenery as it blazes and bleeds into different Zones. Forget taking things as they come. Forget enjoying the view while it lasts. I need to be at Tails' _yesterday._

I push faster, run harder than I ever have, coming closer to the speed of light but never able to reach it—unless I'm Super. Turmoil clouds my mind as I think of Shade, Shadow, what they could be doing to them right now…

A choked sob constricts my throat, and I suddenly realize my feet aren't quite touching the ground like they should be. Taking a chance to look down as I sniffle, I stare in absolute amazement as I glide across the ground in a similar fashion as when I'm in my Super Form.

My eyes snap forward in shock to see my aura pulsing brightly in time with some strange feeling I can't seem to grasp inside of me. Unsure of what's going on, I attempt to control this new power, but the more and more I do so, it seems to slip from my grasp until I'm forced to run on the ground like usual.

The odd occurrence doesn't stay in my mind for long, as I see with a sigh of relief the workshop ahead of me, or should I say right in front of me—! I have to stop on a dime, putting my specialized shoes to the test in a frenzied attempt at not running straight through the hard-worked-on house.

As soon as my balance is righted, I march through the front door, emerald eyes ablaze in a fierce resolve. Tails and Cosmo are right in the living room, faces flushed as they stand under the only Christmas item put up so far. My little brother startles away from Cosmo and turns to look at me with a sheepish smile. His head tilts after a moment as he looks around me for something that isn't there.

"Hey, Sonic! Um, where are Shadow and Shade?"

Despite my world having fallen to pieces, my very essence seemingly shattered beyond repair, my outward demeanor stays calm, confident almost as I give my response: "They're gone. There never really is a dull moment, huh?"

* * *

Way to start the ball rollin' huh?


	11. Make Do

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. They all belong to SEGA.

The story, however, belongs to me.

Story Beta Read by: Pepper1622

* * *

 **~11~**

 **-Make Do-**

"So a creepy alien abducted Shade and Shadow? Did you see where they went off to? Were they in some kind of ship?" Tails asks while fingering his chin in thought.

"He… I-I don't know! The sky was blood red, for Chaos' sake! I couldn't really see. I would assume they'd have to have come in some ship," I rationalize while pacing across the cement floors of the workshop. Staying still is not part of my mindset right now. I'm far too on edge after that encounter.

"Is there anything else that you remember that can be helpful in figuring out who they were?" Tails asks tentatively.

I look up from the black oil stain my focus has been on while I made my continuous trek in order to see the empathy expressed in my brother's angelic eyes. A sigh escapes me as I rub a hand warily over my face for a moment. "Well, I think he called the aliens he was with the 'Black Arms.' The dude's obviously the leader, seeing as the others were nothing more than mindless man-eating beasts."

Tails nods and gives a small smile that doesn't reach his eyes. "Maybe that'll help. Don't worry, Sonic. We'll get them back in no time. The others will be here soon enough, and then we can make a better plan of action."

I give a curt nod and then head for the stairs, leaving him to try and look up anything on these Black Arms aliens. As I pass by the kitchen on my way to the front door, I hear Cosmo on the phone speaking with one of our friends, as her task was to inform them of the situation and to call them here ASAP. She catches my eyes for an instant, the compassion there making me feel that much more wrecked on the inside.

The cold air is hardly refreshing; it just makes things far clearer in my muddled mind as I exit the humble abode. I find myself in a familiar position upon the roof as the image replays of Shadow going after Shade, so brave and heroic, only for the two to end up lost to the unknown regardless.

 _It should've never have happened. If I'd just taken Shade and run, maybe Shadow would've gotten away on his own. We wouldn't be separated like this right now. He and I could've been fighting those Black Arms together, but because of me…_

" _Damn it!"_ I exclaim, anger towards myself finally breaking free from its contained state. My breathing is heavy, condensed air displaying my rattled emotions in seamless wisps. I hardly catch the sound of displaced snow as two figures approach in a hurry until an exclamation of my name is made.

"Sonic!"

Amy. Scourge. Of course. The two stay in Emerald Hill. It makes sense that they'd show up first. The concern is too obvious on Amy's face and in the air around Scourge. I wonder how they'd feel if they knew I was the reckless parent who brought on the whole situation in the first place.

"Tails is in the workshop, if you want to hear an in-depth analysis on what happened in Hill Top," I say rigidly before turning my eyes back to the horizon, seeing nothing, everything.

"No, I do not want to hear what happened from Tails, Sonic, and you know it! You get your blue tail down here right now, mister, and talk to me! …I can see you're hurting. I just want to help," my pink friend expresses intensely as she lets her concern for me get the best of her, like usual.

"I'm not the one who needs help," I mutter sullenly as I wrap my arms around my bent knees, placing my head in them shortly after.

"But—" she says softly, dejection bleeding into her voice before her counterpart finally speaks up after having observed our situation in silence.

"Just let him be. He needs to work this out alone for now."

I have to give Scourge credit. He may not seem like much, but he's pretty observant and is far cleverer than given recognition for.

Their feet amble through the snow before the sound of the front door opening and closing reaches my ears, notifying me of my solitude. I shake my head ruefully for a moment before I pull my face up and stare dully at my surroundings. _I'm isolating myself from my friends. I guess I'm taking the place of you while you're away, huh, Shadow?_

My smile is watery, shaky as tears gather in my eyes, beginning to chill as they slide slowly along my muzzle. "I'm sorry, guys… so sorry."

~XxoOoxX~

"That sounds horrible… We have to do something, guys. Tails, do you think this is going to involve the Blue Typhoon again?" Amy asks with her hands clasped near her chest. All four of them were centered in the workshop in various chairs they pulled from around the house.

The bright screen from the super computer behind Tails shines decisively behind him in his failed search on the Black Arms as he responds, "Yeah, I think so. I can't find even a hint of information about those aliens Sonic described, giving us no clue on what we're up against, unfortunately. I haven't the slightest indication where we'd start searching…"

Silence fills the room like a smog until he speaks again. "But I think I have one idea that just might work."

"You weren't planning on leaving us out of the information loop, now were you?" the almost femme fatale member of the group asks in faux surprise as she and her gruff echidna mate enter the base of operations.

"Rouge, Knuckles, you made it," Cosmo says with a soft smile.

"You bet we did. Sunshine and little Shade in trouble? Of course we'd come. Poor Blue. He seemed pretty upset on our way in," Rouge comments as she takes a seat next to Amy with her legs crossed at the ankles.

Knuckles huffs and stands off to the side near the Tornado, the green scarf he adorns making the action far less effective in retrospect. "Poor _Blue?_ He nearly bit my head off when I asked if he was crying!"

"Don't be mad, Knux," the albino bat remarks casually as she adjusts her winter coat, more intended for fashion purposes than weather protection with how tailored it is to her form. "I saw you crying just as much once when the Master Emerald was shattered, remember?"

He splutters nonsensibly in denial, much to her amusement, before her teal eyes cut back to the kitsune in charge at the moment. "So, fox boy, what plan do you have?"

The cerulean eyes in his youthful face transform into determined jewels. "Well, you all know I have a Chaos Emerald detector? I was thinking maybe I could rework it into a Chaos Signature tracker so that I could find a trace of Shadow's energy, and we could follow that to wherever the Black Arms took him and Shade."

"That's brilliant!" Amy exclaims as she jumps up from her seat in excitement.

His smile is strained as he continues, "Yeah, thanks… The only thing is, it'll take me a little time to shift the frequencies and test it to make sure that it actually works. Maybe a few days at most."

The less encouraged faces around the room was what he was expecting, the figurative bomb to drop.

"A… a few days? But who knows what those creeps could be doing to Shadow. To _Shade_. And Sonic. Once he hears this, how do you think he's going to react?" Emotions running wild once again, the high-spirited hedgehog takes things out on her longtime friend.

"Rose." Stern and unmoving in his tone, Scourge commands her silence.

She looks at him fretfully, noting his casual posture, but the crystal blue of his eyes speak volumes. "He's doin' everything he can. Maybe you should be offerin' your help instead of makin' things harder."

Sinking back into her chair in shame as her actions become clear, her head nods slowly. "You're right. Sorry, Tails."

His sigh is tired. "It's fine."

"Amy, maybe we could gather items needed for our stay in space like before? It could take your mind off things," Cosmo offers with a hopeful smile; the wide persuasiveness of her eyes makes it hard to turn down.

"Oh, all right. Plus, we can use it as time to hang out, since we haven't really, you know?" she agrees warmly.

The others, feeling the pressure of having Amy taken care of off their hands, turn back to the two-tailed fox as his eyes lock on to the grumpy red echidna. "Knuckles—"

"Yeah, yeah. You want to use my Emerald again. Fine." His arms are crossed tight and his eyes closed, the epitome of indifference.

"Thanks. We would use the Chaos Emeralds—as long as Shadow didn't have any when he was taken—but Sonic will most likely want to use them during the final confrontation," Tails explains further. His eyes wander around the people ready and willing to help for a time as he decides to wrap things up. Time is of the essence, after all. "I guess that's everything. We just need to work together and… we'll get them back."

Everyone shares silent nods before Scourge exclaims boisterously, "Meeting adjourned!" gaining surprised and amused looks from all.

~XxoOoxX~

Three glowing red eyes look on whilst hovering at the handy work his offspring have managed to accomplish with the two priceless Inhibitor Rings. Two small diamond-shaped slots on opposite sides of both Rings lie open, awaiting the insertion of the final piece.

"Excellent. Now all we need is a little something we picked up from planet Minc Trodnol some time ago," the Black Arms leader states in satisfaction.

The "something" is a set of jewels among many on the planet said to influence the mind or even control it. The sophisticated beings thought they would be able to use their gems against the invading aliens. Perhaps persuade them into leaving or even twisting their minds into more well-rounded and modest people.

Of course, they didn't expect total paralysis and brain-washing in return.

In the end they willingly gave themselves up for a better cause and even left some nifty jewels for the crafty leader to keep. When he looks down at his large, grotesque palms, the four tiny blue diamond-shaped gems pulse with a hypnotic light, much to his approval.

Nodding to the less sinewy-like alien—one of the small few trained for other things that don't center on man eating—the leader gives it the go-ahead to secure the golden rings around the wrists of the prone hedgehog lying upon the cold, sleek metal table before them. Shadow, completely out and unable to heal until this point, finally starts to breathe with less labor when the soft _chinks_ are heard.

With a malicious smile, the dark leader begins to slot in the gems, each glowing softly then dimming to a soft, almost unnoticeable light once settled. At the final placement, a deep chuckle forms in the looming alien's chest as his plans set in motion. "It is only but a matter of time, Shadow. Your trials have just begun."

His red eyes glance at the alien machinery connected to the unconscious hedgehog, the device showing a gradual progress towards total recovery—Shadow had to be monitored while the Inhibitor Rings were worked on. It wouldn't bode well if he died this soon.

Black Doom drifts into the large, oppressive room, its walls lined in silver, the ceilings projecting direct lighting that gleams off the lethal instruments lying about. His eyes pass over the steel bars that line the back wall, as his target is one of his more power-centric offspring. Once he casts a sharp nod to the lumbering alien, it begins to head over to Shadow's lying form, picking him up carelessly and heading to the specially designed cell not located in this room—the torture room.

The creature enters the room and tosses the bio-hog carelessly inside, most likely causing his percent in-healing progress to drop down a few digits, much to Black Doom's annoyance. When it exits the small five-by-seven prison, its clawed hands shut the cell door, allowing a soft white illumination to run along the bars before dispersing.

Black Doom approaches the bars slightly, his hands flexing in confidence, the air around him beyond sinister. "You'll join my side in time and gather the Emeralds as promised… for now I must check on my bargaining chip."

Turning sharply, he wondered if his most well-trained offspring managed to figure out how to handle the loud nuisance. Yes, it would be good to be able to raise it to be as strong as Shadow, but he didn't want to have the headache of being near it all the time. It ending up dead because of incompetence would be an inconvenience as well. No need to have Shadow more against him than necessary.

~XxoOoxX~

My mind rekindles slowly, and I feel as if my very bones were forced through a wringer, a sensation I haven't experienced since last week's training session with GUN where they had me functioning under simulated extreme weather conditions for hours on end. Of course, I can handle those conditions, but doing so for many hours is no laughing matter. When Maria found out, her face reddened in anger at their cruelty. She'd wanted to confront them, uncaring of what trouble such an encounter could lead to. Only my reassurance that a full night's rest would get me back to full strength helped curb her righteous fury.

 _I suppose I passed out after another meeting with them._ The thought trails sluggishly through my mind as my eyes peel open. Stone-cold black ceilings greet my eyes, a far cry from the usual sterile silver that I'm used to. And then I realize I'm no longer aboard the ARK with Maria and the Professor. GUN is no longer a threat.

But this Black Doom guy is.

Sitting up slowly as my newly healed bones take a moment to settle properly, I see similarly colored walls on three sides of me, a metal frame for a bed like one you'd see in a holding cell, the mat flat and limp, a sorry excuse of a pillow sitting on top right across from me. My eyes trail left, and I also notice a toilet and… nothing else.

 _What? No sink for me to wash my hands, you sick bastards?_ I roll my eyes as I stand, turning towards what has to be the exit, and see steel bars lining the way out. My lips curve slowly, allowing a fang to peak out just slightly. "Far too simple."

Echoes clang as my shoes hit the ground with each step, my gloved hands reaching out to grasp the bars in order to pry them apart easily.

Not a second passes after my palms grasp the seemingly innocent poles before I'm plunged into a white-hot agony, writhing in tortured pain. I try with impressive strength to hold back any screams of anguish, but they slip through, and soon I'm repelled with the force of my will, back onto the cold, hard ground. My body trembles with the remnants of the electrocution… no, it wasn't that. It felt like— _seemed like—_ my very own energy was forced to attack me from the inside.

I cough softly and lift a hand slowly when I feel liquid begin to trickle from my nose. It's hard to tell with my glove being stained with blood already, but the freshness of this new tinge is still somewhat clear. I close my eyes briefly at my rash impulsiveness. _Nothing is ever as easy as it seems._

"Ah, Shadow. It seems you've become acquainted with my Negative Chaos Energy Repulsion system. I know all about your Chaos energy, Shadow. Our technology far surpasses your own, so taking the time to develop this was no inconvenience. I never thought I would have to use this once we met again. I assumed you would have liked to join me, your father of sorts, in working towards a better world—a better universe, even.

"But alas, you've grown weak, _infected_ by those feeble-minded creatures upon that planet. We'll go about correcting that, Shadow. There's no need to worry."

 _Gods, the ego on this alien is damn near the size of a super-giant star._ I don't have nearly as much patience to listen to his inane dribble, especially with the way my head is feeling…

I lift my hand to my head as a sort of fogginess settles in, my Chaos essence working to mend the damage done earlier, but at the same time something's not quite right. I stagger to my feet and stare at the imposing form through the bars of my chamber, a soft growl on the cusp of escaping. "What did you do to me? Something's not right. I can tell. You've done _something_ ," I hiss furiously, the thought of him _experimenting_ on me while I was out beyond my ability to be calm.

"Why, Shadow, I don't know what you're talking about. It's all in your mind. You're letting your temporary imprisonment get to you already? I thought you were stronger than this." He _tsk_ s in artificial sympathy.

"Screw you! I've had enough of your games! You let me out of this cell! Release me this instant and return my son to me! I'm about three seconds from blowing the roof off this place. The Repulsion system be damned. If I find out you did something to me or so much as ruffled one quill on my son's head . . . you'll see the true face of evil. I can promise you that."

Our eyes hold for a long moment, him gauging my seriousness or perhaps just inner-monologuing about his perfect utopia. Eventually he turns and makes a strange set of low rumblings, the natural language of his kind, I suppose. The single corridor leading to my cell is dimly lit, casting shadows ominously down the hall. As a figure approaches behind Black Doom, I wait with baited breath, expecting to see my son bearing wounds of sorts all around. The very thought runs my blood cold. Not only is him being here my fault, but Sonic would kill me if I let anything happen to Shade.

The figure steps around Doom, far thinner in stature than his brethren, clutching Shade in his claws—a very naked Shade, devoid of light blue overalls, diaper, and all. He seems rather shaken—being around aliens would do that to a three-month-old—but otherwise unharmed. The moment his emerald eyes land on me, he gets reasonably excited, squirming in his captor's arms much to the black alien's displeasure, a chorus of baby babble tumbling from his lips.

I smile in spite of myself and find my hand almost to the bars in an attempt to reach him when I recall the painful experience I felt previously and force myself to stop. "It's okay, Shade. Everything will be fine, little one." My eyes simmer when I turn my gaze in Black Doom's direction. "Give him to me. Now."

As if to taunt me, he takes hold of my son, whose face, once happy, furrows in disheartenment, little tears beginning to shimmer in his eyes. "Now, that won't do, Shadow. I still need your full cooperation, do I not? Shade—is it?—will be just fine under my care," he condescendingly states while petting the black-and-cobalt-red-streaked fur atop the little hedgehog's head in a show of false appeasement.

"And how is that? You don't know the first thing about raising a kid. What have you been doing with him, exactly? He's naked, displaying your incompetence with the welfare of children. Shade needs a true benefactor. He needs _me_."

My words are smooth and drizzled with a tall helping of persuasion as I gaze at the desperation Shade has for wanting to be in my arms. I'm taken aback when a slow smile begins to form on Doom's monstrous face, it speaking volumes on what he thinks of my little speech. "Manipulative. Very good. It'll do you well when we begin to conquer worlds. Unfortunately, I am a different matter. Shade stays with me for now." He turns and begins to drift down the corridor, his silent offspring following right behind him.

My fists clench tightly as urgency takes hold. _I can't leave him with that monster. He won't survive._ "Wait! Do you even know how to feed him? _What_ to feed him? How to even change him?" I demand with ferocity in my voice.

"It can't be that difficult. He does have some of my blood within him. He should be fine with what I give him. As for this 'changing,' you have let those creatures weaken you and your son. He shall learn the way his brethren have," the tyrant explains, pausing in his departure for a moment.

Alarm blazes through me in a fury. "Are you _daft?_ He isn't one of your disfigured monstrosities! He needs milk, p _asteurized_ milk, and to actually be taken care of. Something you're clearly not willing to do. He isn't just of your blood, which you seem to not understand, Black Doom. If you kill him, your death will be paid in kind to an unfathomable degree," I whisper icily—the tendrils of a tundra can practically be felt in the very air around us.

Black Doom tries to hide it by walking—floating—away indifferently, but my high senses pick up his words before he exits the hallway. "Look up this 'pasteurized _mi-lk'_ immediately."

I breathe a sigh of relief. _At least he's making an effort. Now I must as well._ Sitting down silently in front of the cell bars, I begin to test out its true worth, enduring bouts of pain and torment when my energy rebels, silently awaiting his next move.

* * *

A lot of people have been waiting for this next chapter... I hope it was satisfying ^^


	12. Hidden No Longer

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. They all belong to SEGA.

The story, however, belongs to me.

Story Beta Read by: Pepper1622

* * *

 **~12~**

 **-Hidden No Longer-**

When I finally come to—I hadn't even realized I'd lost consciousness—it's to the sound of rumblings and clicks. Actually, they sound pretty annoyed, oddly enough. _Urgh, I have half a mind to tear off your arms and feed it to your innards if you don't shut up!_ I sit up, observing my sprawled position on the cell floor with irritation— _Why do I end up on the floor so often?—_ my vibrant red eyes seek the disturbance that pulled me from my slumber.

Tall and lumbering, resembling that of the one I granted an excruciating death to, it lurks there with its maw wide and threatening, awaiting something.

Seeing it has my attention, it makes more of those sounds, as if trying to communicate with me. Chuckling sardonically, I ask in a very crude manner, "What is it, you big oaf? You wanna tell me something?"

Just seeing it causes my blood to boil in anticipation, an image of its blood splattering across the walls, its high-pitched screeches sickening to others but oh-so delicious to my ears. I stand gingerly, my shoes scraping against the ground as I move closer to the bars, wanting to make the vision come true. _Needing it—_

"Now, Shadow, there's no need to let bloodlust take over you. Not yet, at least," a familiar deep and rasping voice intones; a flip seems to switch in my mind so abruptly that I realize with a jolt how quickly I'd sunk into my ruthless side, simply allowed it to take hold with no protests whatsoever.

 _What in the fuc—?_

"Shadow, there are some things I wish for you to do." With each syllable spoken, things become clearer and less rattled, allowing me think in a more level-headed manner.

I turn a sharp eye in his direction, understanding now clear in my mind. "Do something for you? You're far more idiotic than I once assumed. I may be your 'prisoner,' but rest assured: I'm no errand boy. Whatever tampering you've done to my system won't change that," I bite out in the end.

He seems highly unpleased with my words, the frown lining his visage a sure sign of this. "You seem to have forgotten something: I have possession of your son. One utterance from me, and my children will—let's just say—have a delicious appetizer."

I seal my lips at this, much to the bastard's smug enjoyment. Patting the creature's shoulder, who promptly begins to open my dank chamber, Black Doom begins to speak in that self-righteous tone he so dearly loves. "It's good to see the bloodlust thrive deep inside you, like all of my children; although, it won't do for you to take it out on them. We are all family, after all, Shadow," he comments while making a gesture for me to follow him out of my solitary cell.

I eye the beast holding the gate open warily before exiting, starting to take note of any possible escape routes and the potential location of my son. "I do not have this bloodlust. I simply enjoy a good battle," I respond as we finally exit my isolated hall into one much wider with halls branching off to the sides. _He could be anywhere…_

"Really? So you've never taken enjoyment from the execution of another? Never… thirsted for their spilled blood in battle?"

My posture stiffens from its already tight position as his words resonate within. "I… I—no. I've never wanted to drink someone's blood." My words sound flimsy even to my ears. "Like I said before, I only enjoy a good battle."

"Ah, but I never mentioned having a desire to drink one's blood." The smugness in his gleaming red eyes is incorrigible, and I realize as I play his words back through my mind that it was all a trick, a twisting of the words to get me to reveal what he knew all along.

My fists tighten as I think of the subtle desire for my mate's blood. It's not insatiable, but the feeling is still there, simply because Black Doom's tainted blood runs through my veins. _I'm more like this creep than I ever imagined, and that alone terrifies me. Am I a… monster?_

Schooling my emotions behind an indifferent mask, I turn back to Doom, who seems to be awaiting some emotional lash-out from me. Sorry to disappoint. "Where exactly are we? And where are we going?"

Clearly dissatisfied by my calm demeanor, he goes along with my topic change for now, probably planning some other way to psyche me out in the meantime. "We are on my ship, _The Black Comet_. The cloaking device makes it appear like any other comet, making it easy to travel unnoticed and without hindrance," he answers quite proudly.

"Yeah, until someone wants to shoot you out of the sky when you get too close," I mutter under my breath, apparently loud enough for him to hear, as his red eyes turn to me with a glare.

"As for where we're going, a planet I've discovered has a sublime set of supplies. We do need to be ready for our next… _invasion_ ," he tells me simply.

I grimace at this but nod slowly, letting my eyes trail over the various creatures wandering the halls in what seem like set paths. It's almost kind of creepy how mechanical they all seem. "What about my son? Have you fed him yet? He has his mother's stomach…" I add absentmindedly, suddenly realizing with gut-wrenching worry how scared Sonic must be. I was so busy trying to figure out a way to escape and how to get our son back that I hadn't put much thought into what Sonic's probably been up to.

 _No doubt everyone knows about our absence by now. They're probably trying to think of a way to rescue us._ I sigh fretfully as I think, _My blue hedgehog, do not worry. We'll make it back to you just fine._ My inner worries swell up for a moment, and I add, _I… I promise to tell you everything._ Everything _about me this time, so that you can truly decide whether you wish to be with me or not._

Pulling me from my heavy thoughts, the alien leader responds to my inquiry. "Replicating this… _mi-lk_ as you call it was a, eh, _process._ " The word is still foreign on his tongue. "Once discovering the chemical makeup of it, it all became a matter of producing it properly. It is indeed beneficial to have our synthesizer. Now," he states while gesturing to the room in front of us, the apparent place we've been headed to all along, "it's time we tested your true abilities, correct?"

~XxoOoxX~

After watching Cosmo and Amy leave and return to the house in intervals carrying bags of supplies, I decided it was about time to see what plan had been established. The house, far warmer than the cold that began to settle into my bones, is thriving with pent-up energy. Rouge and Knuckles are in the living room digging through the boxes Tails and Cosmo left out for Christmas decorating. The two are bickering over what type of ornaments should be placed upon the tall green tree, Rouge clearly winning by the frustrated pout on Knuckles' visage.

I turn my eyes away from the scene, the image of how it could've been with Shads and Shade here flitting in my mind for the briefest of moments. Walking towards the downward flight of stairs, I see Scourge leaning casually against the banister, seeming to not have a care in the world. Keeping my eyes straight, I brush past him and finally enter the workshop to see Tails bent over a device, goggles in place to prevent sparks from harming him as he works vigorously.

"Hey, Tails," I speak softly so that he doesn't jump and accidentally break something.

He pauses, his twin tails stilling in their casual movement, before he sets his instruments down and lifts up his goggles while turning to face me. "Hey, bro… what's up?" His smile is tight and his blue eyes worried, as if this conversation was something that's been eating at his mind.

"Oh, nothing. I was just wondering what the game plan was? Sorry I wasn't here earlier. I just needed a moment…" I admit while looking down. I shake my head sharply and look up with regained focus. No use drowning in my failure; I'm determined to help out in any way possible to make getting Shadow and Shade back a reality.

"That's okay—we understand. As for the game plan… we're going to take the Blue Typhoon out into space and go after those Black Arms, of course," he says with a small smirk.

I feel excitement and hope fill my veins at those words. _Another journey through space? Way past cool! We'll get you guys back in no time!_ With life flooding back into my voice in a massive wave, it's suddenly a lot harder to keep myself still. "Really? When do we leave? What can I do to make things go faster?"

His face drains of all color, and I suddenly understand why he seemed to dread having a conversation with me before. "It's not going to be soon, is it?"

"Just a few days," he says hastily. "I just have to get the Chaos Emerald detector's frequency changed over to Chaos Signatures and test it out so that we find Shadow." He's practically pleading with me, as if I'll go off on him or something because of the delay.

I sigh warily, feeling rather disappointed, but I would never blame my brother for this. "I'm not mad or anything, Tails. Don't stress out about it. You do what you have to do, and I'll… I'll go back to Hill Top to get the Chaos Emeralds. We'll need them for sure." All the energy gone from my system, I reach over to squeeze his shoulder in reassurance, then turn to leave.

"But, Sonic! It's getting late. Shouldn't you rest and eat something?" he calls out gingerly.

"I'll grab something before I go. Besides, if I leave now I'll get there by morning, and I'll just rest when I get home, I guess. I want to sleep…"

… _with his scent,_ I finish mentally, feeling foolish for such a need.

"Well, okay. I'll get this done soon, Sonic."

I nod slowly on my way up and out, paying no mind to the Mobians that occupy the house. Just as my hand moves to grab the knob, the door swings open, revealing Cosmo and Amy with more armfuls of supplies. Their eyes widen, and forest green lands on me, taking this as a chance to get a response from me.

"Hey, Sonic! Where are you headed off to? It's getting late…"

The room seems to silence, the bustle from before stilling as everything seems to await my answer. Feeling unusually on the spot, even for me, I answer as casually as I can, wanting the feeling of being under a microscope to disappear. "I'm heading home to get the rest of the Chaos Emeralds. I know Rouge keeps the two we lent her with her at all times." I cut my eyes in her direction to see her giving me a knowing smirk in answer. "And Tails definitely has his that we gave him, so the last four I need to bring here. I'll just sleep when I get home. No need to worry."

"Well, if you say so…" she says hesitantly as I move to exit.

As I pass Cosmo, I feel her hand rest on my shoulder for a moment, cold from the weather outside, but the gesture is warm all the same. _I have friends who'll be here for me no matter what._ Closing my eyes for composure, I disappear with the wind, vanishing in the twilight evening.

~XxX~

I'd attempted to grab hold of that unusual power from before in order to reach Hill Top Zone faster, but no matter how hard I searched, or deep I felt, I simply couldn't grasp it. Going beyond the sound barrier still helped me reach my home Zone just as the Mobians began milling about their morning business, so I wasn't too perturbed.

I'm jogging through the more populated area, heading in the direction of the nestled log cabin, when I realize the stares I'm receiving. They're not the common adoring fan stare—these are looks of disfavor, which causes me pause.

I run a little slower to see that yes, I'm receiving the "evil eye" from a lot of Mobians around, and they all seem to have something in common: a newspaper in hand. Quickly making my way to a stand, I snatch one up and stare in disbelief at the front page.

 _Sonic Not The Hero We Thought He Was!_

" _Sonic was nowhere to be found when the aliens first invaded Hill Top Zone yesterday at around noon, letting helpless Mobians become victimized to their attacks. Later he could be seen running from the Zone in frightened tears after the alien invasion. Is this what truly lies under the skin of our supposed hero? Is Mobius really safe with him as our protector?_ "

My hands are shaking in suppressed rage at the sight of these words. _You've got to be kidding me!_ I look up at the owner of the newsstand, a brown mongoose wrapped thoroughly for winter, and give him a glare worthy of my mate. "Are you one of the impressionable fools who believes this garbage?"

He seems to waver under my stare, my simmering words causing him to struggle in response. "I-I don't know. I just, uh—"

"You people know _nothing_ of what went on yesterday! My mate and son were kidnapped by those aliens, you jerk-offs! Of course I was in tears! But I wasn't running away, as you guys so elegantly put it. I was heading back to Emerald Hill to enlist help in my friends so that we could go into space after the monsters!" I exclaim, slamming the newspaper down on the wooden stand, my hand fisting it slightly as my muscles flex in ire.

"B-baby? Wh-what… we—we didn't—" he attempts feebly before I lay into him some more.

"Of course you didn't! I didn't exactly go public with it, especially with how overprotective my mate can be. Maybe he was right. If you guys can turn on me so easily with just _this_ "—I gesture to the line of newspapers displaying the same crude message—"then telling the world about my son really wouldn't have been a good idea."

I turn abruptly and leave the mongoose flabbergasted, missing his confused utterance of "He?" as he hastily starts to pull down his slew of newspapers, a startled gasp escaping his lips as he notices the one I was grasping is burnt slightly.

I march through the white snow, just wanting to get home and away from all the drama the world seems to present. Looking ahead as solitude begins to set in, I see the lone cabin, which brings me a small amount of comfort.

Opening the door as soon as I reach it, I close the opening, leaving the cold air behind me. Everything is exactly how I left it, Shade's bottle left on the hardwood table, the fireplace no longer lit, as it was close to going out before I left… just barren and empty.

I unravel the crimson scarf from my neck and place it on the coat stand by the door, ignoring the missing jacket and scarf that also hold residence there. I move further into the house to my room shared with Shadow. The midnight-colored duvet is perfectly made—Shadow is such a nitpicker about making the bed after we get up—the lights off and the curtains slightly open, as Shadow likes to look at the sky sometimes if he can't sleep.

I turn on the bedside lamp, tinging the room in a yellowish hue. My red-and-white shoes hardly make a sound as I move to the rarely used closet where Shadow placed the case containing the Chaos Emeralds. The door opens, revealing a mostly empty closet, only a few articles of clothing Rouge insisted we take held here. At the very top shelf is where the silver case lies.

I arch an eyebrow and begin to stand on my tippy-toes, trying to reach the high case. My fingers just barely graze it, and I give a frustrated huff as I try to stand taller in order to grasp it. "Damn you, Shadow, and your specially made shoes that give you even _more_ height over me than you already have," I mutter without any real heat as I stand as high as I can and finally grasp it. _Score!_

Of course, pulling back such a large case while being so improperly balanced causes me to lose my balance. My heart jumps as I stumble back, my spine connecting painfully with the wall closest to the closet as I clutch the case to my chest. It takes me a moment to assess that I'm not as hurt as I thought I would be before I move away from the wall, my heart rate beginning to settle as I let out a sigh of relief.

"That was a close one."

 _Click._

"Wha—?" I turn to see what that sound could've come from and spy a piece of the wood from the wall lying plainly on the floor, a dark square hole cut neatly where it was covering. I sit the case down gingerly and walk over to the opening, curious as to why it's there and, more importantly, _how_ it got there.

Once I stick my hand in innocently, my palm closes around something interestingly shaped, and I pull it out to see just what it is. Sleek, silver, and deadly, the gun rests in my hand as easily as it did on the day I tried to use it against Eggman.

I nearly drop it in my surprise, this being the absolute last thing I expected to see in our house. I thrust it back into the hole and replace the wood over it, not wanting to relive my darkest moments again, my feet staggering back on their own, landing me on the springing bed unceremoniously. "Why is that here? Shadow . . . why did you keep it?" I lie back in the bed, curling into his scent as it begins to envelop me. "What's going on?"

~XxoOoxX~

The door slams shut behind me with a decisive _bang_ , letting me in on my folly. I wasn't very concerned with the hulking goon who flanked me from behind; if need be he could be taken out with little effort. My concern was Black Doom, the being who holds the very life of my son in his devious hands. I should never have walked into the room first—it was what he wanted, after all—but with the threat of Shade's life at stake, I played by the rules… for now, at least.

My attention is in front of me as white blaring lights illuminate the once pitch-black area. Smooth metal plating lines the floor, ceiling, and walls with a line of windows off to the top left in order for observation. The room, football field-size in length, is familiar, hauntingly so. "I've been here before…" I say breathlessly, feeling my mind begin to swim. "GUN's training arena," I conclude as I trail my eyes up to the windows where Doom is most assuredly residing.

"This technology… GUN received it from you somehow! Some of the worst moments of my existence have been because of you!" I accuse brazenly as my mind desperately tries to figure out where all the connections end. _Would I be who I am today if it weren't for him? Would I be a better person? Someone worthy…?_

"Yes, I thought it would be best to leave them with something to help make you stronger. It wouldn't do if, when the time came, you wouldn't be ready to help me, Shadow. It's also good that these dimwitted humans are so greedy. They took the anonymous blueprints without question," he responds over the speaker, his already loud voice booming around the room.

"I'll make you pay. Mark my words," I mutter, darker than a black curse.

"We shall see who here actually holds the cards, Shadow. Now, you seem to be forgetting what I said earlier about testing your true power. Your aim is to get to the end of the room to your goal without collapsing. Commence." His usual condescending attitude is absent in his words. In its place is dead seriousness.

Being on the highest alert possible, memories of those times with GUN still fresh in mind, I walk forward through the temporarily safe trap, waiting for anything to pop up. Something does dredge itself up eventually, only it's something I'd long since chosen to forget.

 _Click, click, click._

As my shoes touch the ground, bringing me ever so closer across the room, I recall briefly my first _Friday_ with GUN…

" _Project. We've got a new assignment for you," I was addressed sternly as we proceeded down the sterile halls._

" _And what is that?" I ask innocently, still somewhat new to the world and to the training I'd been forced through so far._

" _Elimination."_

" _What?" My response is staggered, as I was shoved into a room identical to the one I reside in currently._

" _Murder, assassination, killing—whatever you want to call it. Your first victim: Jimmy Gurlugavich. Responsible for the murders of dozens of children in the most gruesome of ways."_

 _I look in front of me, frightened at this, to see an average-looking kind of guy. Brown hair, brown eyes, garbed in an orange jumpsuit. When his eyes land on me, I can finally see what is wrong with the situation: there is a deep sense of_ wrong _there that I can't seem to stomach._

 _Stumbling backwards on feet that aren't nearly as nimble as they will be in time, I blindly reach back for a doorknob of some kind, only to come up empty. The only way out is to have the door opened from the outside._

" _Y-you can't make me do this!" I yell frantically as the man before me takes a slow stand to his bare pale feet._

" _Oh, yes we can. You wouldn't want your precious Maria to get sent back to Earth, now would you?" he threatens smugly. "I'd do something if I were you, Project. The guy_ is _a murderer, like you yourself will become soon… First things first: Always keep your focus on the target."_

 _His words ring in my mind blaringly, and I let my crimson eyes steady themselves on the approaching human male, so much taller than me._

" _Next: Subdue the target in a way that he cannot cause you harm." He deals out steps like they're simple items on a grocery list._

 _Jimmy, a foot's distance away from my cowering form, makes a move to grab me, only I duck and dive between his legs, quickly moving to turn so that my feet connect with the back of his knee, forcing him to the ground. My body, smaller in stature, pounces on him and twists his arms so that any struggled movement results in his pain, something GUN taught me well._

 _The man in orange grunts and yells obscenities as my heart pounds away in my chest. I think it's over. I've done what they wanted, right?_

" _Good job, Project," I'm praised patronizingly. "Now finish him."_

With a strangled gasp, I focus on the present and realize my feet managed to get me halfway there. My hand comes up to rub at my head in vain, as the memory fades, my breathing far from even and my head far from clear. I seldom think of that memory for many reasons, the main being my hatred for how I was forced to do such a thing, to change so drastically.

My breathing increases slightly as I delve into my power, wanting to reach this "goal" so that I can leave this horrid place faster. Heat dances at the base of my skates as I use the familiar Chaos inside me. It still feels tainted somehow, but that doesn't stop me from moving faster regardless. Nothing can stop me from leaving this place.

Nothing except the hauntingly beautiful blue hedgehog who suddenly stands before me.

* * *

I _really_ hope you all loved this chapter as much as I did!


	13. A Twisted New Reality

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. They all belong to SEGA.

The story, however, belongs to me.

Story Beta Read by: Pepper1622

* * *

 **~13~**

 **-A Twisted New Reality-**

"S-Sonic?" I breathe in disbelief, ready to dash forward and scoop him up into my arms. The urge to do so is nearly insatiable, but… the look in his emerald eyes causes me pause. No longer filled with playful joy and never-ending love, they seem hard like stones, full of nothing but contempt and disappointment… _toward me._

"Sonic, what's—"

"Shadow, you lied to me," he interrupts frigidly.

I take a step forward in confusion and inwardly recoil when he backpedals a pace, keeping the distance between us. "What are you talking about?"

He throws his head back as he gives a bitter laugh. "You _know_. You're a monster. A _murderer._ "

It suddenly feels like I can no longer breathe, and the whole room seems to be wavering dizzyingly. Sonic, though, remains completely still.

"I'm not… I-I didn't…" I try to deny foolishly, earning a sneer for my efforts.

"All those people GUN brought to you? I'm surprised you can bare to look at your hands—at your _face_ in the mirror! And to think I let you use those same hands to touch me at night." He visibly shudders in disgust, and I feel as if I've perished on the inside.

"Sonic, I was forced. They said they would harm Maria and the Professor if I didn't," I try weakly, deliriously, as I strive to close the distance between us again only to fall to my knees as he clearly draws back at the sight.

"It doesn't matter. You still enjoyed it. You still do, and I don't want a person like that in my life any longer. Especially around my son," he says curtly as he bends down to pick up Shade, who wasn't there before, but I'd swear he was there all along.

"Shade…?" I call out softly, wanting him to look at me and smile, for him to help me see that this was all a dream and my worst nightmare really isn't happening.

He doesn't acknowledge me.

Eyes blurred by tears as they begin to slide down my muzzle endlessly, my overly sensitive ears pick up Sonic's last words: the final nail in the coffin.

"I don't care if we're Chaos Bound. I want you to stay away from me and out of our lives. Sayonara, Shadow the Hedgehog."

As he turns his back and disappears into a mist, I begin to howl his name in the deepest sense of despair, of unbridled agony. I barely even notice the blinding aura that begins to surround me, my eyes too focused on his point of disappearance.

Once my power is unleashed, alarms blare for a moment before silencing, the room fading into darkness shortly after, taking me with it.

~XxoOoxX~

" _Damn!_ What _was_ that?" Black Doom cries in outrage as he examines the black room Shadow collapsed in and nearly decimated. The test was going smoothly: the hallucinogens were seeping into the room without any apparent notice from the Ultimate Lifeform, their goal to hopefully make him believe he was fighting off some of the foes he'd faced in the identical room, forcing him to use more of his Chaos energy, but things kind of backfired.

Instead of encouraging Chaos use, which would help the blue gem's influence over the bio-hog, he seemed to crumble as if attacked by a vicious nightmare, lashing out in a kind of despair that the alien leader would never understand.

As he walks to the door of the test room, one of his offspring comes out carrying the hedgehog, who has a noticeable blue shine emitting from his Inhibitors. A devious smile lines the floating alien's face as he realizes that the test was, in fact, _successful_.

"Hmm, it seems that strange power helped the gems regardless… I suppose it is said that _the use of your powers aids in your influence_. It didn't occur to me that any power would be included in that saying. Interesting…" With a gesture of the Black Arm leader's hand, the black-and-red alien carrying the similarly colored hedgehog heads in the direction of Shadow's cell while Black Doom heads towards the containment area where the smaller hedgehog is being held.

Turning down a number of halls, heading deeper into the ship's layout, Doom ends up in front of a small room with a simple lock and a tiny barred window in the door. Upon entering, he sees the elaborate setup he and his most trained child had to go through just to get the loud hedgehog to eat.

Apparently drinking from a dish wasn't something it was willing to do, as the two had at first placed the white liquid next to the squirming thing in hopes of silencing it. The dish was knocked over shortly after in its wriggling, and they had to wash it again in frustration.

After that they decided to set up a slew of tubes leading from a refillable container with the end being connected to a stainless steel tip that prevents leaks unless suction is applied. The hedgehog didn't seem too happy with this setup, but he fed happily once he realized his nutrition was finally readily available for him.

Looking at the sleeping child on a pad similar to the one that lines Shadow's bed upon the floor, the red eyes turn their attention to the almost meek-looking alien that's been tasked with keeping watch over the unpredictable hedgehog.

Switching to his native tongue, he begins to question his subordinate. "Did you check the ship's status?"

Looking down in submission, he responds immediately, "The ship took minimal damage. The room is the only thing that suffered severe damage. Had it not been built to withstand his Chaos Blast, it would have come out worse."

"Hmm. Well, that's good to hear. That room won't be needed again, I suppose. Shadow did push the gem's influence to a domineering degree. He'll have a difficult time trying to fight off his true nature. He won't even realize what's happened, for it's already too late to even stop."

~XxoOoxX~

The sound of sparks as wires are connected are all that fill the otherwise silent room. Twin-tails sagging on the sides of his chair in exhaustion, Tails continues to work on the Chaos Signature tracker with no apparent signs of stopping.

Hunger gnaws at his insides, but it goes unnoticed as he sees his invention desperately close to being finished. _If I just connect this here, it'll increase the flow of the receptor, and this here would help increase the wave distribution in order for the Chaos fluctuations…_ His mind is a swirl of possibilities as the answers become clear.

 _Come on… almost there…_ Just as he makes a move to possibly solve the problem he's been having for the longest time with this invention, a clearing of the throat is heard, as well as the smell of… c _hili dogs?_

Setting his instruments down, Tails turns to see who could've possibly have disturbed him while he was doing something so important, so _vital_. Sonic stands there with a stern look about him, a plate of chili dogs with extra cheese in hand.

 _Oh, boy. I've done it again, huh?_ Pulling off his goggles completely, sitting them down next to the Chaos Signature tracker, Tails offers a small smile. "Hey, Sonic…"

"Don't 'Hey, Sonic' me, buddy. You haven't been eating. Yeah, this is important, but you still have to take care of yourself." His tone is serious and carries a little disappointment in it.

The fox cringes just at the sound and turns away as his brother puts the plate on the work area he's basically been living at for the past few days. "I'm sorry, Sonic… but this is really serious! I'm close to finishing it, really! If you'd just let me—"

"Tails…"

His tone is warning, and the kitsune flattens his ears at the reprimand.

"Look, Tails, I don't mean to come off as harsh or anything, you know that? I just don't want you to get sick or anything from not eating. _Or_ sleeping," he adds knowingly.

"I'm doing this for you, big bro," the little genius almost whispers.

The cobalt hedgehog flinches then looks down, all going unnoticed to the cerulean eyes of his best friend. Turning towards the entrance of the workshop, the speedy hedgehog seeks a fast exit. "Just… get some rest." His departure from the area is swift.

The sunset orange fox observes the kind gesture his brother set before him for a long while in contemplation. His gloved hand reaches over and grasps the rubber grip of his working tools.

Just as he's ready to begin work again, a voice sounds firmly through the room.

"Miles Prower, what are you doing?"

Shocked at being addressed so strongly, and by his Chaos Bound no less, he flounders about for a moment as he spins his chair around to see the raised eyebrow disappear under her radiant green hair. The flustered kitsune attempts to make it seem like he wasn't doing something incriminating. "Uh, I was… I was just, uh—"

"Do you not see the meal your brother brought to you? You're exhausted, Tails. You should eat then head off to bed," she suggests while striding up to his seated form. Her pale dainty hands rest on his shoulders in a soothing manner as she turns him back to face the awaiting food.

"You guys don't seem to understand. I'm so close to finishing this! If I can just work a little longer, we'll be able to leave faster—"

"Tails, don't you think Sonic knows that? That _we_ know that? We want to go find Shadow and Shade as soon as possible, but not at the expense of your health," she chides caringly.

With a heavy sigh, Tails pulls the plate towards him with plans of finishing the tracker tomorrow. Soft petal-like lips brush his fuzzy muzzle, causing his white fur to sport a reddish hue.

"Thank you, Tails."

~XxoOoxX~

Three days. Three of the longest, most grueling days I've experienced in my life thus far. And it's all because of this choking fear I have for my stolen family. I've tried not to concentrate on it too much by helping the girls with their preparation and making sure my brother doesn't work himself sick from exhaustion.

Standing outside with everyone right now as Tails prepares to open the hidden sector where the Blue Typhoon is located allows me to finally see this as more of an adventure rather than a rescue mission. Each of us holds a few bags of necessities, except Knuckles, who holds the Master Emerald, as the wind nips at our exposed fur and noses. My elbow nudges Tails, who stands next to me lightly as he holds a remote that will get things started.

He looks up at me with a sheepish smile before pressing the red button, setting things in motion. With whirs and a dramatically slow unveiling, the massive starship rises unhurriedly from its hidden passage. Its impressive stature still manages to leave those who've traveled on it for weeks in awe.

I whistle at the extraordinary sight and turn with a raised eyebrow as I hear the sound matched. Scourge stares at me with a grin as the group begins to head towards the spacecraft. "What? It is a pretty nice ride," he responds to my arched eyebrow.

"Uh, thanks, Scourge. I've made sure to run maintenance at least once a month, so she's ready to run when we are," Tails responds enthusiastically as he carries his share of supplies on board, heading in the direction of the living quarters. "Hey, guys? I'm gonna go and sit my things in my room before heading over to the bridge to install the tracker into the mainframe. Knuckles, can you—"

"On it," the red echidna answers as he takes the path leading to the engine room.

"Oh!" Dropping her things in sudden excitement, Rouge spreads her wings as she takes off after her mate. "Wait for me, Knuckles! Oh, I just love the shine of that Emerald when it gets all worked up!"

Shaking my head as a chuckle of amusement escapes me, I head in the direction Tails went, hoping to unpack my things quickly so that I can reach the head of the ship faster and see what my bro comes up with. A voice like tinkling bells causes my ears to twitch as I turn around to see Cosmo, Amy, and Scourge following right behind me.

"It feels like yesterday when we were on this ship going after the Metarex, right, Sonic?" the Seedrian questions with a small smile.

Returning it with gusto, I move to make my signature thumbs-up only to realize that my hands are still holding bags. "Hehe, yeah! You bet!"

"Oh, it was so exciting, Scourgy! And now we get to go on another daring adventure!" Amy squeals as she clings to the laid-back hedgehog, baggage and all.

"Sure do, Rose."

"I wonder how Chris is doing?" she wonders aloud.

I arch an eyebrow as I think of our human friend, a large smile beginning to form on my face. "Oh, he's doing fine. It's probably been years back on Earth, so he's had to have had plenty of adventures by now," I assure with a smirk.

When I see the small room I resided in during our stay months ago, I allow the automatic hatch door to open with a soft _swish_ , the others going by in soft chatter of what Chris might be up to and if he and Helen might've actually gotten together. I roll my eyes lightly. _Girls…_

Everything's mostly metallic and designed in a way so that space isn't wasted, just a bed and a small dresser. Sitting my things on the floor—I didn't bring much, and really the bulk of the items brought was food—I take a seat on the single bed and begin digging through the duffels.

My hands snag a few pairs of gloves and socks, which I relocate to the draw mechanically. It's when my hand grasps something small and soft that my mind regains clarity from the monotony that is unpacking. A small jade onesie sits limply in the palm of my hand.

I stare at it in wonder, thoughts of how Shade might need it when we get him back flashing through my mind. Folding it nicely, I place it in the second drawer and move on with renewed vigor, wanting to catch up with Tails. Something hard with straight edges nudges my hand, and I pull it out of the bag.

A small brown frame holds a photo, not just any photo, but the first family picture of Shadow, Shade, and me. I know I shouldn't have brought it along. It's not a _real_ necessity, but I just wanted to have this with me.

As I gaze at it further, recalling the day it was taken, a small smile lights my face. It's odd that we took a family photo so late, but I'm really not a picture person; nonetheless, Shadow insisted.

" _Shads!" My voice is whiny as I hold my tiny bundled-up son in my arms. "It's getting really cold out! Why do we have to be out right now?"_

 _He sighs in exasperation as he pulls me closer to his warm body, so warm, almost like a furnace… "The first snow is coming today, hedgehog, and I'd really like to see it."_

 _I clamp my lips shut in contemplation and then pull Shade a little closer when he begins to squirm a bit._ Oh, yeah, I sometimes forget that he grew up in outer space. Ice Cap Zone was a different type of snowy adventure… I hope this'll be something special for him. _We stay outside for a while longer, feeling the temperature get that much colder and the skies become a light gray with overcast._

" _It won't be long, Shadow," I say with certainty as the chill begins to nip at my nose._

 _As soon as those words are spoken, a slow, soft flurry of white begins to speckle the sky in a dazzling display. I turn to Shadow with a soft glint in my eyes and smile happily at the sight of the usually composed and stoic hedgehog, truly mystified as snow begins to land lightly along our fur._

" _So this what you were hoping for?"_

 _His eyes are warm and toasty, like a freshly kindled fire. His lips peck the tip of my nose, and a flash goes off right after, causing my cheeks to warm once I realize what he just did. "Mmmhmm. I couldn't hope for anything more."_

"Hey, blue boy!"

Startled from my recollections, I scramble to hide the small frame under my pillow before turning to the green hedgehog in my doorway. Trying to be nonchalant, I lean casually against my bed. "What's up?"

"I wanted to talk to ya about somethin', actually," he informs me with a waning smirk.

"Well, could it wait? I was really hoping to find out where Shadow is located," I admit as I push myself to stand.

"Not really. Besides, I already checked with the kid. The ship's getting ready to launch while the tracker thing syncs with the ship's systems or somethin'." His lack of technical know-how is pretty obvious, but from what I can understand I still have some time before things really start shaking.

"Okay, then, I'll bite. What do you need? Some info on Amy, perhaps?" I tease slightly with a chuckle.

"Nah, I'm good in that department. This is actually about Shadow."

The sudden seriousness chills my spine. "What about him?"

He finally walks into the room, allowing the door to shut behind him. "Well, ya know I used to run the streets before I met Amy, right?"

I nod in affirmation when I recall his very first appearance in the home I used to share with Tails.

"Well, I still hear things, and the word on the street is that Eggman's dead." His statement is blunt, but everything about his words seems to ring in my ears like a deafening alarm.

"You can't be serious! He's locked up. Your sources are wrong," I declare with absolute certainty, having stood from my perched place on the bed in my heated state.

He crosses his arms as the blue of his eyes sharpen. "Think about it. How long does it usually take for him to bust out of those places? Weeks? It's been _months_."

I don't want to believe it, but it's true. I've had this nagging feeling in the back of my mind that ol' Egghead would come back, but it never happened. "O-okay, so if that's true, what's this have to do with Shadow?" I ask this even though I have a sinking suspicion that I know where he's going with this.

"I remember how you tried to confront the Doctor but didn't go through with it. Shadow stayed behind, right?"

"You're not implying what I think you are," I cut in with fire in my voice, the image of that hidden gun flashing in my mind seeking to blind me with reality.

"Sonic, you don't seem to understand what it's like for someone who grew up in a rough life and never really had anything to call _yours_. I knew once I found Amy that I'd never let anyone hurt her, and if they did"—his eyes seem to blaze a cold inferno that speaks of a hellish fate—"I would make them _suffer._ "

"But that's _murder!"_ I shout in protest.

He turns towards the exit as he speaks, his view on the subject final. "Look, I didn't come here to try and change your viewpoint or whateva'. I just thought you should know the truth." With that he shoves his hands into the pockets of his black leather jacket and leaves.

I sink into the mattress, suddenly feeling very heavy. My hand finds the photo I regarded before, and all I can do is stare at my dark mate. _Shads… why did you keep this from me? What's going on?_

~XxoOoxX~

Consciousness comes swiftly, and I find myself staring at a vaguely familiar black ceiling. I sit up and rub my head slowly as I try to figure out what last occurred. Things seem a bit muddled at first. I remember… I remember blue… so deep it could be mesmerizing and green eyes brimming with hate, contempt. My blood begins to simmer in a violent flurry of emotion. _That person… hedgehog did something to me._

Small traces of memories come to me at this, and it occurs to me that I'm on a ship with Black Doom, my father of sorts. Before I awoke I was… in some accident. I recall a feeling of great power just as I blacked out.

My eyes widen just slightly at this as I begin to gaze at my hands, the blue hue shining from my Inhibitor Rings catching my eyes and my thoughts as I do so. _They didn't used to be like this before, right?_ I'm uncertain, but it doesn't really matter, as I just discovered an insurmountable power.

Standing from the sorry excuse for a bed, I head to the steel bars and raise my hands slowly as I let my thoughts become consumed with that vile hedgehog, a sadistic smile beginning to creep on my face at the thought of finding him and then seeing to him _personally_.

My hands pulsate from golden to cobalt in a cycle interestingly enough, but I stop concentrating on this as the key to making this power work is not control—it is the _lack_ of control when your emotions get the best of you and you allow them to take hold.

As I effortlessly pry the bars open, a devilish gleam comes to my crimson eyes. _I have a feeling I'll have no problem with that._

~XxX~

I maneuver through the halls of this vessel languidly, taking note of the many creatures that go in ostensibly distinct directions. They don't appear too hostile as long as I don't walk in their paths, I've noticed. Strange…

My goal is to find Black Doom and figure out where this ship is headed. There are many things that need to be put into motion, but a main objective that will remain is finding that hedgehog.

I make a right, my stride sure and confident, and see him gliding in my direction. The look of surprise as he gazes upon my visage is priceless, although I'm unsure as to why he would be. A little accident wouldn't stop me. I'm the… I'm the Ultimate Lifeform. My brows furrow, as it takes a moment for that string of remembrance to untangle.

"Shadow, what are you doing here?" He appears alarmed.

I gaze nonplussed at his glowing red eyes. "I wanted to know where this ship was headed."

This doesn't seem to be the answer he was looking for by the feel of his apprehensive aura. "…Planet Ussly, a planet we've detected to have supplies _._ " He looks as if he's said this before, but surely I'm misreading.

In the end I nod slowly with a hum.

"Shadow, I've been meaning to ask you…" His hand out of the corner reaches to lie innocently on my shoulder.

Without thought I grasp his wrist tightly, halting it in its destination, and speak calmly and clearly through clenched teeth: "Do not touch me. If I feel so much as one slimy finger upon my fur, I will rip it clean off your hand and ignite it into _dust_." I don't look at him, but I feel his attempts at getting out of my grip, which end in vain. At my own leisure I let go and walk slowly to a small circular window as I cross my arms in silent contemplation.

My senses tell me that he still stands behind me, probably stewing at the besting I served him, but I give him credit for continuing to speak. "Shadow, do you know where the Chaos Emeralds are located?"

 _Chaos Emeralds?_ Those words unleash memories that feel as if they're marred, _tainted_. That blue hedgehog and his associates all seem to star in them in some way. He's toying with me. He somehow managed to tamper with my memories. I would never in my right mind cohabitate in such a way with those people.

Maria wouldn't have wanted me to.

Her dying form flashes before my eyes, purity stained in blood, _begging_ me to make things right. To make those who did that to her pay. I made a promise to her, and I'll keep it.

Starting with that blue hedgehog.

"The Chaos Emeralds… they're on the planet… Mobius with that blue hedgehog and his friends," I inform Doom, who waits silently behind me.

"Mobius? Is that not the planet I collected you from?"

"Don't be upset, _O great leader,"_ I quip with a bit of sarcasm. "That hedgehog will find a way to me. He's… persistent. He'll bring the Chaos Emeralds as well." I gaze into the vast never-ending vacuum of space, my reflection in the window revealing to me my intent. "And when he shows… I'll be ready."

* * *

We are actually getting close to the end of this! Just a few more chapters by my calculations. Since you guys are so awesome, I've decided to release an extra chapter THIS Friday before continuing with regular Monday updates!


	14. Prepare For Battle

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. They all belong to SEGA.

The story, however, belongs to me.

Story Beta Read by: Pepper1622

* * *

 **~14~**

 **-Prepare For Battle-**

I walk through the empty halls of the _Blue Typhoon_ to the bridge, taking the white metal stairs that'll lead up to the second chair in command. Everyone notices my appearance, and those who are actually accustomed to smiling shine one my way while the others lend a small smirk.

"Okay, now that we're all here, let's get started!" Tails exclaims while moving his hands along the blue keys before him, bringing up the huge display in front of the dome window. "Activating Radar System…"

The digital display begins to show readings of the ship's systems and threats if they come near. I grin at the technical prowess of this starship; it truly is a work of genius.

"Main engine initiated. Connecting to the Master Emerald. You got that, Rouge?" His fingers are activating the smooth green buttons on his panel, and I feel antsy to _do_ something, but my main job is to back up Tails and defenses, of course.

"Loud and clear, fox boy," her voice answers over the intercom in her usual sultry manner. She may not be Chris, but she can work her way around technical devices with ease.

"Okay, then. Knuckles, do your thing!" our commander instructs with a large smile.

In mere moments we see the readings on the engine begin to escalate towards full power until finally we've reached the point where takeoff can be achieved.

Amy squeals from her seat cater-corner to mine just as Rouge announces the power chamber's achievement of full capacity.

"Okay, guys, here we go." The ship begins to rise at Tails' direction, soon propelling forward, sending us higher and higher.

Mobius looks so green and high from this vantage, the area we just left white and snowy, a world full of life and freedom. I can't wait to get back and hopefully travel with Shadow and Shade, like Amy had with Scourge before. I've traveled around Mobius plenty of times, but it'll be nice to see Shadow's and Shade's reactions to the different sights. Right now, though, we have coordinates to figure out.

Even with the little amount of time I was given to think about Scourge's words, about what Shadow did… I still wouldn't change my mind about how I feel about him or wanting to save him. _As if the Ultimate Lifeform needs any saving,_ I muse with a soft chuckle. I clearly don't agree with it, but I understand. If he would have just talked to me, I could've easily explained that—

"Sonic."

Like a douse of cold water, I'm roused from my thoughts, my emerald eyes turning to my left to see Tails giving me an imploring look. "We're ready to launch the Chaos Signature tracker."

I nod with certainty. "All right. Let's do this."

"Loading the Chaos Signature tracker." As he makes the announcement, Knuckles and Rouge enter and stand idly below, waiting for the results.

The digital map of our galaxy displays, waiting for an input to be entered for further readings. "Entering Shadow's unique Chaos wavelength." Tails' fingers become a blur for a moment, and then the screen begins to move through the galaxy.

My heart begins to pound, feeling like something knocking against my chest. _Come on . . . prove that you really are the Ultimate Lifeform. Be okay…_

"Sunshine's just fine, Sonic. Give the machine a chance to work," the albino bat comments, noting my anxious state after a few minutes of no results from the Tracker.

I give a shaky smirk, going for my usual cocky expression when all else fails. "Oh, I'm not worried." A blatant lie, but she doesn't have to know.

The loud beep that emanates the tense air a few seconds later allows me to turn away from her knowing look and glue my eyes to the diagram in a desperate kind of immersion. The red dot blinking steadily on the screen is like the light at the end of a dark tunnel, a sign that I can finally breathe easily again.

"This is great! Okay… so he's pretty far off, so we'll have to use the Ring Warp, which'll get us there a lot sooner," my bro says in consolation.

"This is such a relief! Now all we've got to do is rescue them, which'll be a cinch," Amy adds with a carefree smile, her forest green eyes looking to her right at Scourge, who leans casually in his seat.

"Sonic." I look to my right past Tails at Cosmo, who spoke. "What do you think?"

Since I haven't uttered a word, all eyes turn to me expectantly. I raise my hand and place it behind my head as I chuckle nervously. "What? I'm not one for emotional displays."

They continue to stare.

My look turns flat. " _Usually_. Guys, now that we know where they are, we should come up with a battle plan. Those aliens are serious, so we need to be prepared."

"Come on, Sonic. We defeated the _Metarex_. These guys can't be that tough," Knuckles states cockily while leaning against the wall of the entrance to the bridge.

"I won't lie—the Metarex were tough, but they didn't have some type of undetectable way of causing total paralysis so that their man-eating minions can feast on you alive, did they?" I ask impudently, forgetting about the younger listeners who seem to shrink back at the thought of such a fate.

"Sonic… y-you didn't mention anything about that," my little buddy states, unnerved.

I stop up short and bring a gloved hand to rub at my chin as I mumble, "I… didn't?"

A chorus of " _No!"_ sounds around, and I feel a sweat-drop forming.

"You just said that Shade was taken from you and Shadow tried to get him back, inadvertently becoming injured and captured along with him!" my fox of a brother sums up with frazzled eyes.

"Oh, yeah… sorry?" My apologetic smile is apparently winning me no support.

"If I had known about this sooner, maybe I could've created some type of defense against this…" he begins to murmur worriedly, cogwheels starting to turn in his head as he attempts to formulate plans.

"Look, don't stress so much about it, guys," I say. "We'll make a plan with what we have and take things as they come. Deal?"

Grumbles from Knuckles is my sign of his affirmation, and the sight of Scourge settling back down from the initial shock as his feet become propped up on his console is a sign of his decision. I look to the others and see Rouge place her hand upon her wide hip as she looks at me with mischievous teal eyes; I expect her to lead the rest into agreement. "I better get an extra Emerald for this, Blue."

My lips curve teasingly at this. "Sure, but you'll have to talk to Shadow about it. He's been pretty adamant about keeping those four Chaos Emeralds."

This pulls a laugh from my friends, and I gaze at them with a fond smile as we travel through the vast unknown, a plethora of stars shining all around in the distance. _Without them, this adventure probably wouldn't be possible… I wouldn't trade them for the world._

"All right, team! Let's make a plan…"

~XxoOoxX~

Staring at the back of the Ultimate Lifeform causes a mixed feeling of pride and uneasiness to arise in the arrogant Black Arms leader. The aura that surrounds the dark hedgehog is cold, filled with an icy frigidness that can only be felt in the deepest of tundra, the barest of planets. He succeeded in creating the _true_ Ultimate he was seeking, one who would not bat the slightest eye at the snuffing out of the most innocent of souls.

But was it worth it?

Was it worth creating something that would undoubtedly turn on him when he realized just how truly powerful he was, especially with that hidden power that seemed to form from nowhere?

Staring at the almost statue-like state the hedgehog posed himself in before the window that outsiders wouldn't be able to see through, he considers.

… _yes._ Yes because he still has one trick up his sleeve that should help contain the bio-hog should he decide to turn. Reaching a large black-clawed hand to grasp the seemingly innocent ornament that hangs from his neck, bearing a large red gem, his lips curve into a devious smirk behind the unsuspecting hedgehog's back.

 _I still hold all the cards, Shadow… never you mind._

Abruptly the hedgehog turns from the window and begins to stride purposely down the hall, away from Black Doom. Almost suspecting for a second that the hedgehog managed to hear his thoughts, the diabolical leader questions in false curiosity, "Are you headed back to your cell?"

A scoff leaves the ruthless hedgehog's lips as he continues his walk. " _Hardly._ I'm going in search of an area better suited for my needs. And would you send someone with a new pair of gloves? Mine are… mine are ruined." His utterance of the last sentence is almost quiet, troubled, as he raises his left hand and stares at it as if seeing something only he can.

He stays lost to the world for a while longer before furiously clenching said fist and marching away with a growl, leaving Doom thoroughly confused. Turning himself in the opposite direction, the head of the ship begins to snark to himself about the utter arrogance some people can have.

~XxoOoxX~

 _That damn_ blue hedgehog! _Giving me some inane memory of giving him a glove because he wanted to be an idiot and almost fall into acid._ Unbelievable _. What kind of experiments did he put me through to be able to do such a thing? I-I know I've been through experimentation before…_ My right hand rubs uselessly at my head as I try to dredge up the recollection. _G-GUN? Yes… GUN was the first to run such tests on me, and they also… they also murdered dear Maria._

I squeeze my eyes shut and simply lean against a smooth obsidian wall in grief. They killed her in cold blood, and she begged me for revenge. This hedgehog must have found me, stolen me from GUN, and followed in their footsteps. Maybe he wanted to see what was so special about a supposed "Ultimate Lifeform." His attitude seems cocky enough for such thoughts.

He wanted to toy with me, mess with my memories, cause me _pain_. A flash of those cold, loathing emerald eyes shines in my mind's eye, warranting a furious growl from my chest. My crimson eyes snap open, blazing with hatred and a thirst for revenge. _Well, he barked up the wrong tree. I'll show him what it means to poke fun at one such as myself._

Standing straight, I progress through the halls of this ship with a new purpose in mind: preparation. I want to be absolutely ready for his arrival. By no means will he be stronger than myself; I just want to see what all these new abilities can offer me.

Who knows? They may proffer new ways of torturing the poor fool.

~XxoOoxX~

"Okay, so Scourge, Rouge, and Amy will search for and retrieve Shade while Sonic, Knuckles, and I will go after Shadow," Tails proposes to our group as we simulate a plan.

"What about me, Tails?" Cosmo asks gently, an imploring look in her deep blue eyes.

 _Ouch._ I can practically feel the angst that's about to occur from this. I get that Tails is probably still a bit shaken up about our last outing into space and how Cosmo had to sacrifice herself, but this time is different, and he should try to understand that.

"Well, uh…" He fails miserably.

Cosmo's face twists into hurt anger as she rises from her seat and leaves, most likely heading to her room to be alone.

"Tails!" Amy is the first to scold loudly.

He has the decency to look ashamed, and he makes a move to stand, but I stop him with my voice. "Buddy, you should probably leave her be for now. Let things cool down."

He sighs and sinks into his black-cushioned chair, beginning to speak in a worn voice, "I shouldn't have done that. She deserves a lot more credit. I just—"

"We get it, kid," Knuckles cuts in with a wave of his hand.

"Yeah, we were all there, sweet cheeks," Rouge comments casually, "so we understand what you were trying to do."

"Well, most of us," Scourge announces as he finds and unlocks the lock on his chair that kept it in place and begins to swivel around childishly.

I shake my head with a chuckle and then turn to Tails as he musters up his leader attitude to continue on.

"I thought it would be best to have Rouge, Scourge, and Amy together because Rouge can pick any locks you guys come across. Scourge is nearly as good in combat as Sonic—"

"Say, I've got my own skills to offer to the table," Scourge cuts in with a self-confident arch to his eyebrow before letting my bro continue.

"Right… Amy's also good to have because… well…" He sheepishly smiles as she nonchalantly produces her Piko Piko hammer in a subtle flash of Chaos energy. "Sonic, Knuckles, and I are going after Shadow, and our skill sets should be proficient for that battle," he concludes his well-thought-out decision.

I nod my head at his smart reasoning. "Great thinking, buddy. We'll beat them, no sweat."

With a bashful blush he accepts the compliment smoothly and then stands from his chair with a look of remembrance on his face. "Oh, right! Let me get the batch of Wrist Coms. I brought!" And he dashes off with his tails fluttering behind him. The room doesn't stay silent for long.

"So, you ready for this battle, Blue?" Scourge asks casually, but I can see in his eyes that he's referring to whether or not I'm still reeling over his words.

"Of course he is, Scourgy! Why wouldn't he be?" my pink friend asks while turning her dark green eyes between us.

Not answering her as he awaits my response, I adopt his casual posture, although I don't place my feet on Tails' hard-worked-on console. "Amy's right. I'm perfectly fine."

He and I practically have a stare-off, and Rouge, being the inquisitive spy she is, picks up on the deeper meaning. "I have a feeling we're missing something here. What could you two boys be hiding…?"

I break my gaze from his overconfident cerulean eyes to see Rouge gazing at us mischievously.

"What? What are we missing?" Knuckles butts in while moving closer to his plotting mate as if to gain some insight on the "juicy" secret.

"Nothing. Just wanted to be sure, 's all," my green doppelganger finally answers as he turns back to entertaining himself with the steady spinning of his chair.

I blatantly ignore the burn of Amy's stare as she tries to figure out what remains hidden in our conversation in lieu of Tails' return.

"Sorry it took so long. I went to see Cosmo. Tell her we were about to warp and leave for battle, ya know?"

I offer Tails a reassuring smile that he seems grateful for before he hands out the orange wristwatch-like devices to everyone in the room. He takes his seat and then looks at the coordination of the red dot that flashes persistently on the monitor before the dome glass.

"All right, place the coordinates (23,94,18)."

My hands move to place the assigned numbers immediately. "Coordinates locked."

"Redistribute the energy from the main energy to the Warp Ring."

Rouge, having flown into Cosmo's vacated seat, promptly begins to type and enters the final button with a flourish, her hand resting on her chin in apparent ease afterwards. "Energy redirected."

"All right, launching Warp Ring."

The anticipation is thick in the room as Tails creates the warp tunnel. The white beam fired from the orange pointed nose of the ship opens a large black hole outlined in inky red. Without pause, the _Blue Typhoon_ sails into it with no plans of turning back until our task is finished.

The tunnel closes behind us, leaving no trace of a presence having been there.

* * *

The battle takes place Monday and believe me... it's going to get crazy.


	15. Battle Royale!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. They all belong to SEGA.

The story, however, belongs to me.

Story Beta Read by: Pepper1622

* * *

 **~15~**

 **-Battle Royale!-**

Intense green eyes in the face of antipathy flash through my thoughts, degrading my mind. " _Arrgh!"_ A swift spin as my arm juts out, slashing through the air like a sword across flesh, sends out a bright arc of energy in a burst of madness from within. It connects with the distant wall, a sound explosion following instantly, causing my fur to ruffle as the course heat washes over me briefly.

The small room is covered with indents, scorches, and punctures form my fists and the powerful uncontrollable energy that resides within me. It's a wonder how it's still somewhat intact. My chest rises and falls softly as the smog-like billowing smoke begins to diminish and I'm allowed to see more clearly again, only it's not of the defaced room, but of that cursed blue hedgehog.

His expression is one that can only be described as seductive as he walks smoothly in my direction in a porcelain room, coming to a halt when the fur of his chest brushes mine. The soft firmness of his lips caress mine for the briefest of seconds, igniting something deep within the mirror image of my mind's eye. I'm almost entranced as I watch the twisted memory play out, practically _feeling_ the sensation of pinning his wiry body to the white slicked wall as I devour his mouth in a haze of sensual bliss.

But it isn't real.

 _It_ _isn't real!_

I clutch my head as the image begins to unravel at the edges, his laughter filling my head in derision as I befall one of his tricks once again. "Stay out of my head! _Stay out of my head!"_ I yell furiously as the laughter doesn't cease; the feeling of devastation about to be unleashed from the center of my being is a sure warning sign that I should gain some control, but he just won't _stop_ _!_

" _What's the matter, Shadow? Somethin' bothering you?"_ he tauntingly asks.

" _SHUT UP!"_ My chest rises and falls with my rapid breathing, and I collapse to my knees as his voice becomes strident.

" _You think you're so strong, so_ superior. _You're nothing but a murderer. A monster!"_

I'm visibly shaking as I try with every ounce of will I have left not to completely lose it and obliterate the ship in my rage of insanity. Then something manages to catch my attention behind my closed eyelids. Grasping it like a dying man to a lifesaver, I open my eyes to see my Inhibitors glowing a light blue. My chest extends slowly as I inhale and let go of the top of my cranium, seeing my newly replaced gloves stained a brilliant red from my apparent attempt to claw out that hedgehog's voice.

"Bastard," I huff in derision. "I guess I'm just meant to walk around with blood on my hands constantly, hmm?" I ask rhetorically, seeing as no one's around to answer, even though I'm not really looking for a response.

My eyes roam the bleak room slowly until they land on a circular glass fixture that somehow managed to avoid dismantlement in my rampage, or "preparation," for the blue one's arrival. Standing swiftly, I advance to the windowpane and take in the passing stars with unblinking lids. The scene is uniform and ordinary until a distinct black hole begins to open not too far away. Intrigued, I allow myself to peek curiously at it, although my reflection remains absolutely unchanged in appearance as I watch a huge white-with-yellow-and-blue-accented starship emerge.

My chest thrums with vibrations as I inwardly laugh at the predictability of this hedgehog. Turning away without a second glance, I find my way to the exit, idly lifting a hand to watch as liquid flames, shifting between gold and blue, lazily weave between my fingers and dance around my palm. "If you're this foreseeable, hedgehog, then… the battle is already won."

~XxoOoxX~

I stare intently as we emerge from the wormhole, trying to find some large ostentatious ship drifting somewhere nearby. Unfortunately, all that comes to my line of vision is black space, luminescent stars, a distant planet, and a flying comet. No starships in sight. Biting my lip subtly in worry, I turn to gaze in Tails' direction to see him observing the same scene with a peculiar expression.

"They should be around here. This is where the coordinates said to go," he comments curiously as he tries to solve the conundrum.

"Well, it doesn't really look like it, kid," Knuckles gripes as he crosses his arms. "All I see is a bunch of nothing and a large rock. Maybe that tracker of yours is busted," he finishes in a haughty attitude.

I squeeze the armrests of my chair to release some of the tension some of his words cause, slowly breathing out of my nose as I muster up the calm to speak. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Rouge lean back casually in her chair, just _waiting_ for the show to begin.

"Where do you get off saying such things like that? I don't see _you_ creating gadgets like this amazing ship or the tracker that by no means is busted." I turn to give Tails a reassuring smile before turning back to Knuckles, who's beginning to glower at me, livid. "No, all you do is sit in front of that gem of yours and flex your muscles every once in a while."

"Why, you—!" he yells, outraged, about ready to jump up to the top of the bridge to start another one of our classic tussles if it weren't for Rouge finally stepping in.

"Now, Knuckie, there's no need to get upset."

 _"What!?_ Are you crazy? He just—" he attempts to protest against his strong mate, but she continues as if he never spoke.

"You're just being a hothead as usual. Sonic's right, hon. Give the kid a chance to see what's wrong. Maybe we're just missing the bigger picture."

Thoroughly defeated, Knuckles sulks off to the side, muttering petulantly under his breath, causing Scourge to laugh in pure amusement, which almost makes me miss Tails' whispered comment.

"Missing the bigger picture?"

The sound of rapid clicks fills the area before he says authoritatively, "Activating Signal Disrupter Waves."

In mere seconds, the innocent golden brown comet disappears, replaced by a massive intergalactic cruiser. Its hull is obsidian with a texture that appears like molten metal. Round in shape, it sports large metallic spider-like legs from its sides, their purpose appearing to be more than just for landing.

"That ship is highly advanced with the ability to cloak as well as its capacity to appear invisible to sonar and radar. It doesn't even have a heat signature," Tails explains as he checks his radars for any signs of the ship that's just a few yards' distance away from us.

"That can't be good," Amy comments, concern edging into her voice.

"Don't worry, guys. We'll make it through this together. Does everyone know their goal?" I question seriously as Tails angles the ship closer to our target, the anticipation and adrenaline rising in me like a rocket through space.

"Yep," the green hedgehog casually responds for everyone as he takes a stand, stretching his muscles with practiced ease as a slow smirk worms its way across his muzzle. _He feels it too… the urge to fight, to dance with death… and win._

The ship shakes for a moment as Tails forces a connection between the two in order for us to board—or rather _invade—_ the enemy battleship. The orange kit quickly jumps from his seat as we all move to gather on the ground floor, and he produces a small yellow rectangular device, handing it to Rouge.

"It's the tracker. Unfortunately, I never scanned Shade, so it's just set to search for Chaos energy right now. Hopefully you guys can use this and… not end up running back into our group," he explains with a regretful smile.

Rouge nods in understanding. "This'll work just fine."

As we move to the entrance bay, the air becomes tense for a moment when we all meet each other's gazes, as if this is the last we'll ever see each other. _Nonsense. It's just the nerves._ "See ya guys when we get back," I say with utmost confidence, giving a thumbs-up and a wink.

My certainty carries over: they all nod. We all face forward as the doors open.

~XxoOoxX~

The three dart forward into the foreign ship with Rouge taking to the air and Scourge keeping his pace at Amy's fastest speed, losing sight of Sonic's group, who takes the opposite direction. The halls are wide and empty, lit by dull fluorescent lights as if to give the place a purposeful haunted feel. The sound of the two hedgehog's footfalls are the only noise as they gaze into any room for a sign of the lost little hedgehog while Rouge keeps watch on the radar.

"This doesn't feel right. It's too quiet. If those aliens are as tough as Blue said they were, they've gotta be up to somethin'," Scourge admits after peeking into another useless room.

Amy, carrying her signature weapon, observes the halls and doors as they pass, a breath of frustration escaping her when she realizes a possible problem. "This place is a _maze_. There a halls leading everywhere! How are we going to find Shade _and_ find our way back?"

Having taken note of this after flying through the first few passages, Rouge already crafted a plan sure to get them through. "Look, once we have the little hedgehog we'll use the tracker to get back to the ship by following the Chaos energy that's not grouped with others."

The pink hedgehog, after shutting another steel door, considers for a moment before it clicks. "Oh, so we'll be following Cosmo's signature!"

"Righto," the bat girl drawls smugly before stopping short as she hears something. "Hold on," she demands in a firm tone, and the two hedgehogs halt and wait for her to give an explanation.

Growls and hisses, scratches and scraps. The sounds reverberate in her ears from the halls surrounding them. They apparently just stumbled into a trap. Her attractively glossed lips curve into a sharp smile. "Get ready, guys. The beasts on board have finally made a move."

The green hedgehog in leather immediately slides into defense, his mate placing her back against his as she poises her hammer.

"What side?" he questions as his crystal blue eyes sweep across the halls.

"All of them."

~XxoOoxX~

" _Ughhh!_ We'll never find him this way!" I complain loudly as we run through the never-ending halls, but then again maybe they do end and we're just running in circles, for Chaos' sake!

"Yeah, it would've been real nice to have that tracker on hand. Would've just led us right to that troublemaker," Knuckles mutters as he runs on my left, his spines shaking with his motion.

"They needed it, Knuckles." Tails sighs in exasperation, as if he's had to explain it for the hundredth time.

"Yeah, stop being such a hard ass, Knux. Besides, we can just call out for Shadow. At least he can respond back," I conclude as we make a sharp right into a large room before emerging into yet another corridor.

"What? So the aliens can find us easier?" he questions smartly with clear annoyance written on his face.

"Look, all I was trying to say is—"

"Guys, I don't think there's time for arguing right now," my best buddy says as he halts his forward momentum, causing us to automatically follow suit.

I twitch my ear and look at him curiously. "Why?"

Al he does is point forward, and I find my own answer: a horde of black-and-red aliens, big, small, and all the different sizes in between. Eyes red with a pinprick of black in the center makes them all the more unnerving as they watch us with undivided attention. Mouths wide and ready for devouring, they're exactly as I remember them.

"Okay, guys. Don't lose focus and don't hold back," I tell them seriously as I prepare to dive into the fray.

"Right," they both agree just as Tails jumps into the air for aerial attacks while Knuckles and I dash forward.

My fist slams into one of the creature's slobbering maws; the feel of its odd bones cracking under the force sends it reeling with a howl of pain. I backflip just as it swipes wildly and see Knuckles come at it from the side, tackling it to the ground.

Three lumbering brutes attempt to claw and snap at my flesh just as I see more pile around Knuckles' occupied form. Unable to focus on him, I duck and weave between the stinging lashes, the width of the hall only allowing for minimal dodge space. Strange hisses and screeches fill the area of this fight as blood begins to spill—unfortunately, not just theirs.

One manages to grasp my arm while I'm in the midst of slamming my foot into the gut of one of its friends. The claws are sharp, slicing through my skin to muscles in mere seconds.

" _Aahhh!"_ I can't hold the scream in at first, for the pain is white hot, but again, focus is key, so I take my working arm and begin to continuously smash my fist into its horrific face. It squeezes tighter with each hit, and I fear it'll end up completely severing my arm.

My blood begins to rush through my ears as near-blinding agony rampages through my nerves. _Let go!_ my mind screams as I strike hard.

" _Let go!"_ I scream as panic takes hold, and I instinctively wish to pull but realize that would only make things worse, so instead I begin to hit, strike, and punch until blood begins to gush heavily with each clout to its grotesque cranium.

By the time it lets go, my hand is bruised from practically beating its face in, and it's making the oddest sounds of pain as it scoots away from me. I feel absolutely sick from doing such a thing, the sight of it making my stomach churn violently. I back away to avoid the image any longer, my left arm held limply at my side as blood oozes from the wound with each heartbeat. I consider healing myself but think better of it, seeing as the Emeralds will be needed later when I most likely fight the leader for Shadow.

The few aliens that are around me seem wary of approaching me even though I'm clearly injured. The sight of me brutalizing their friend must cause them a second's hesitation, which actually makes me feel worse. Clearing my throat of the hoarseness from my screams, I call out to Knuckles, "Knux! How you holding up?"

"J-just peachy!" He's being sarcastic, but he doesn't sound too bad from the pained moans and groans of the aliens in his area.

"Tails! How about—"

" _Aaahhh!"_

My heart strains at the sound of the horror- and agony-wrought screech my little brother emits before I can even finish. I spin in his direction, not caring about the aliens that I can just _feel_ about to pounce at my true lack of guard in seek of his visage. _Where are you? Where are you?_ Splatters of vivid red are what give away his location, much to the strangling terror that chokes me as I begin to run in his direction.

One of the flying aliens he was apparently battling managed to get hold of one of his tails in its sharp, dagger-like teeth, and red is just… j-just _everywhere._

"P-please let go! _Please!"_

His broken cries spur me on, and I can even hear Knuckles starting to react from his enraged shouts, but I'm already nearly to him.

Out of nowhere, a sudden force knocks me hard into the ground, causing us to skid… and the Chaos Emeralds to scatter a distance away from me across the floor.

~XxoOoxX~

A cocky chuckle can be heard as a loud crash reverberates against a firm metallic wall, an alien opponent sliding to the floor, battered and bruised.

"Chalk another victory to Team Impossible!" the rambunctious hedgehog declares just as another enraged monster jabs a claw at his throat, allowing his white-gloved hand to grasp the unguarded arm, heft the being in the air, and swing the struggling enemy recklessly into a group of hastily charging foes with such force that they recoil like billiards, smashing into walls.

"I told you before, sweetie, that's not our group's name," his pink mate comments casually before she lets lose a battle cry while twirling gracefully in a rapid spin. The sickening sounds of cracks, inhumane cries, and spatters of blood as she plows through an opposing brigade echo through the surrounded hall.

"I'll tell you both what's impossible," Rouge says just as her body becomes a blur of deadly precision, twisting so rapidly that the dive kick she delivers to the last enemy as they make contact to the floor below nearly cuts through it like a drill. "Us losing to these creeps."

A little sweaty and out of breath, Amy smiles as she lifts her hammer up to her shoulder and leans into the arm Scourge places around her waist. "There was never a question," she states confidently.

"True, but I think there's more to it," Scourge considers as he and his Bound begin to follow behind Rouge, who believes they're getting closer to the allusive Shade.

"And why is that?" the seductress questions as she takes a specific left turn, noting the closeness of the red dot that is luckily separated from other Chaos beings.

"I think it was so easy because most of the brute force went after 'Team Sonic.'" Scourge rolls his eyes at the name, annoyed that his own group won't agree to being called "Team Impossible" when his blue doppelganger gets one named after him.

"Yeah… you could be right," Amy agrees worriedly as they trail through the silent hall only to stop when Rouge lands smoothly upon the ground.

"This is it. Shade has to be behind this door," Rouge declares seriously as she quadruple-checks the reading on the tracker that points directly in front of her.

"Really?" The relieved gasp the pink hedgehog gives is felt by the two remaining members of her group.

Rouge nods as she looks at the lock upon the door, one that seems to only need a key to gain access. She hums and reaches forward to retrieve a black hairpin from Amy's head quills, startling the hedgehog as a few quills move to their natural position of being spiked, in other words giving her a bad hair day.

"Rouge!" Amy huffs, embarrassed as her cheeks warm at the sound of Scourge laughing lightheartedly and petting her quills.

"It's all in the name of Shade, honey. If I had known the lock would be so… _below me_ ," she mutters in disgust at the waste of her talents before bending down to start picking at the lock, "I would've just brought one of my own."

Amy thinks about this for a second before she points at the working bat in accusation. "Wait! So you have hairpins of your own, which means you're wearing some right now! Why didn't you just use one of your own?"

Standing straight as the door creaks open, Rouge turns a mischievous smirk in the pink girl's direction. "Why? And give up these good looks? That would be a crime."

Grumbling angrily under her breath, Amy marches into the opened room, her hammer in tow, with hopes of cheering up at the smiling face of her kid nephew. The color all but drains from her face, however, at the sight of little Shade fussing and whimpering in the hold of a slim alien.

"Put him down." She barely recognizes her own voice demanding the request as her fist tightens its hold on her trusted hammer, even though she knows there's no way she'd be able to take a swing while it's holding Shade.

The heat from the two bodies that enter the room close behind her alerts her to her team members' presences, but they aren't her focus. The emerald-eyed baby desperately wanting escape from the cruel hold is.

"Let him go!" she demands again as her pink-accented shoes bring her a step closer, which is a bad call on her part.

Shade _screams_.

The clawed hands of the alien clearly tighten slightly as it hisses. Blood thankfully doesn't spill, but with the way Shade keeps squirming, he'll end up puncturing himself and…

"Stop!" the pink hedgehog screams as she backs away accordingly, an image of the baby hedgehog slaughtered flashing through her mind, making her livid enough to become drowned with the urge to make the black alien suffer—but only after Shade is safe.

Rouge bares her fangs as she tightens her fists at her sides, looking around the room for any way to gain the advantage but unfortunately coming up empty. _Damn. How are we going to get the kid back unscathed? I don't think I'd be able to sleep at night if he died on my watch… even with all the things I've seen in my day,_ she reflects uneasily as she observes the suffering child.

In the blink of an eye, the alien's head separates from its body as the sound of a buzz saw emits for a second; near-black blood begins to shoot up from the body like a geyser. The body falls, Shade with it, and, reacting instinctively, Amy dives to catch and cradle the tiny hedgehog to her chest, indifferent to the blood that cascades down on her like a warm, wet shower.

Scourge, standing a couple steps from the fallen body, gazes down at his mate with approval in his eyes. "I knew you'd catch 'im, Rose."

Amy only nods as she concentrates on comforting the hedgehog who's been deprived for days too long.

"That was some quick thinking, Scourge. A little gruesome, but it got the job done," the bat compliments as she strides up in order to rub the head of the cooing child.

"Quick thinking is nothin' to a guy like me. Now let's head back to the ship already. I'm sure those two hedgehogs will be happy to see their kid when they get back."

All in agreement, they exit the room, Amy cradling the little hoglet, Rouge manning the tracker, and Scourge acting as guard, all three unaware of the chaos occurring across the ship.

~XxoOoxX~

"Let me go! LET ME GO!" I holler, enraged at being kept from my brother who I promised to protect, the hot, suffocating terror making me claw and scrape at its arms with my good appendage holding me down relentlessly. The fear that he won't make it, even as Knuckles makes it to his side and begins to destroy the monster that dared to touch him, begins to build frighteningly until it all releases, blowing everything back with a destructive force.

Silence reigns for a moment as I lie panting raggedly, my vision wavering for a moment from the exertion and blood loss. I clamber to my knees and then stand when I'm able as I try to make out what happened and how my friends fared in the bizarre twist of events. Shocking red and warm orange catch my eyes, and I inhale gratefully as I see Knuckles holding on to my wounded brother after taking the brunt of the blow to the wall.

Just as I take a step in their direction, ignoring the unconscious monsters scattered about on the floor, my ears swivel in recognition as a smooth, deep voice resounds through the hall.

"You're full of surprises, aren't you, hedgehog?"

I turn around to see if it could possibly be true, if my hopes aren't just getting the best of me. Fur darker than the dead of night highlighted in pristine red strokes, eyes the color of blood and deeper than an enigma—it's none other than Shadow. The urge to jump into his strong arms as he holds me tight is a damn hard one to fight off, but I'm still concerned for Tails, and something just seems… _off_. "How did you escape?"

He doesn't respond. His eyes become hardened gems, piercing me cleanly with a burning glower that, if it could, would probably set me on fire. That's when I notice the differences in his appearance, like how his Inhibitor Rings seem to shine an odd blue glow; the fact that he hasn't approached me or seem to even recognize me properly; and more importantly the lack of love that used to burn bright like a raging inferno simply for me.

My mind recalls the feeling of when I was tackled just moments before, how it didn't feel like a slimy alien's touch. It felt furry and warm, familiar. Shadow.

Staring at him, incredulous, I can only ask, "What have they done to you?"

"What they've done to me? I don't know what you're talking about. But what I do know is what _you_ did to me," he expresses calmly like a winter chill.

"What I did? I didn't do—"

He teleports before me and slams a fist so hard it might as well be classified as a brick into my face, the force causing me to slam into a wall near my two friends. I'll admit, the fact that he actually hit me hurts a lot more than the physical pain.

" _Sonic! Arrgh, Shadow!_ I knew I shouldn't have trusted that hedgehog!" Knuckles exclaims furiously, his attempt to jump into the fight halted by the clearly unfit-to-move fox in his lap by the sound of his weak groans. I turn to face their direction with a pained wince, feeling blood trickle from the corner of my muzzle. Knuckles' hasty attempt to stop the kitsune's bleeding by tying a sock above his wound registers in my mind for a split second before familiar clicks of Shadow's shoes as he moves sound in my ears.

I know that type of thing won't work for long. He needs the Emeralds. At this point in time, as I stand to face Shadow's approaching form, we both do. Just as I'm about to seek the Emeralds for assistance, I realize with sinking dread that I don't possess them. They were scattered across the floor when Shadow tackled me.

" _You fake!"_ Dashing forward, Shadow uses his strangling hand to pin me to the wall faster than the average mind can comprehend.

Coughing as I attempt to breathe through the sliver of space he allows me, I manage to question, "What are you… talking a-about? Shadow, what happened?" I stare into his eyes, hoping to will recognition back into his mind.

He bares his teeth and pushes me harder into the cold metallic wall, allowing less oxygen to reach my starving lungs. I move my hand to try and pull his away, the near-knee-jerk reaction to kick the threat away coming forth, but I restrain it for now. If it comes down to it… I'll defend myself.

"Stop pretending that this isn't a part of your plan. As if you're not coming back to reacquire me for your odious mind games," he spouts in my face while bringing a fist up in preparation for another strike.

Before he can pull it off, I knee him in the stomach and roll to a stand at his back, wincing at the strain my injured arm is forced to go through. "So that's it, huh? They brainwashed you somehow. How'd they even know about me to even focus your attention on?" I wonder through clenched teeth and fight the urge to squeeze my eyes shut at the pain this situation brings me. _Shadow hates me?_

My eyes stay trained on Shadow, who has pure murder in his eyes as he rubs the spot I nailed on his abdomen.

"He's… h-he's being influenced by some negative energy. I don't know from where, though," Tails states matter-of-factly.

"So you do have a radar?" Knuckles questions, but there's no heat or anger in his tone.

"It's actually an Energy Receptor. I-it picks up different signal waves and warns me if anything too deleterious is near. Shadow's the source," he finishes with a tired voice.

"Enough of this impudence! You all are _finished_ playing mind games with me!" His hands alight in glowing blue-gold fire as he jumps into the air and hurls destructive spheres in my direction, forcing me to dive and roll back onto my feet. The wall before me provides an opportunity to jump and rebound in his direction where I tackle him to the floor, my attempt to hold him down weak due to my useless arm.

"What did I do to you? _What, exactly?_ You don't know, huh, because it's all that alien leader's trick to get you on his side!" I shout heatedly in hopes of his logical side seeing reason.

Clearly logic checked out ages ago, because his eyes become the flames of hell as he tosses me off his form like a rag doll and strides in my direction where my body messily landed with trembling fists. "You _hurt_ me, hedgehog! That kind of pain cannot be imitated," he says so quietly he might as well have screamed it from the force his words slam into me.

"I'd never hurt you," I whisper as I look up into the eyes that once promised never-ending love and protection but now offer nothing but a vow of vengeance.

"You've done well, Shadow," a chillingly familiar rumbling voice announces as he appears from around a corner up ahead. The very alien that started all of this floats before us with a smug grin upon his face. Tails whimpers as the being starts to look around and take note of his fallen minions and the four conscious remaining people in front of him. "You let your brothers fall, Shadow?"

 _Brothers?_ Shadow doesn't seem affected by the words as he keeps his death-stare on my form. "I care about no one but myself. You should know this by now, Black Doom," he responds with an unnerving grin, ruthlessness swirling deep in his eyes.

Deciding to take this as a chance to figure out what happened to my mate, I look away from Shadow at the large looming alien leader without a shard of fear. "What did you do to him? I know you brainwashed him somehow!"

He looks amused at my words as he tries to play innocent. "Why, whatever do you mean? I just helped him realize who he really was."

"You _fuc—_ "

"In any case, we'll have you three taken care of and move on with the invasion, since you were so kind as to bring us these gems." His hands rise as the Chaos Emeralds begin to float into his grasp, eliciting cries of dismay from my friends.

My muscles tense in preparation to get them back, not caring if Shadow tries to stop me. Only the paralysis from before makes itself known, and I feel my whole form chill in fear. _Shadow doesn't remember enough to care about me and my friends… he won't help this time._

"S-Sonic! We can't move!" Tails yells in terror, and I hate that I didn't warn Knuckles to get him off the ship sooner. _Damn it! They didn't have to go through this with me!_

Shadow seems to take note of my lack of movement and walks to me smoothly, gripping my chin in a firm hold as he stares at me intently. "Release them."

"What?" The alien leader currently marveling over the shining Emeralds appears confused by his words. A small inkling of hope rises in me at this. _Is he remembering?_

"Are you deaf? I said release them. I can handle them on my own."

That statement shoots down whatever hope I have left.

"That won't be necessary, Shadow," Black Doom comments unconcernedly.

"Are you questioning me?" Shadow demands as he keeps his gaze fixated on me, the visions of torture and pain he has planned for me practically playing across his eyes like a home movie.

The look on the alien's face as if he's astounded that such a question would be directed towards him would be funny if the situation were better. I see his black-clawed hand move down to grasp one of the ornament-like pieces of jewelry he adorns bearing a crimson gem, and I just have the worst feeling that it won't end well for Shadow if he somehow activates that thing.

" _Watch out, Shadow!"_ I exclaim, hoping against all odds that he'll _listen_ to me instead of writing me off as toying with him.

Without so much as turning his gaze away from me, Shadow swipes his arm in a diagonal slice in Black Doom's direction, sending a wave of light clean through him. It doesn't seem to do anything immediately, but a few seconds later the alien falls to the ground, splitting diagonally with a loud splatter of blood and innards all over the walls.

I feel myself drain of color and probably gain a green tinge in the face as the urge to vomit becomes increasingly real the longer I stare at the destroyed body. My eyes turn in my friends' direction only to see Tails heaving with Knuckles supporting him.

" _What is wrong with you?"_ the echidna cries in my obsidian counterpart's direction.

" _Weak_. You're all nothing but pathetic mortals who bit off far more than you could chew. I'll put you all in your place, though… don't you worry." He chuckles deviously as he tightens his grip on my chin, causing a pained moan to emit through my lips.

Glaring in his direction, I manage to demand through the throbbing his grip causes by aggravating the bruising I already received, "You won't touch them! Your fight is with _me_."

"As you wish, _faker_."

We collide in a flurry of fists and kicks, me at a disadvantage with one less appendage. I'm never one to back down from a fight, so I use speed and agility to combat his power and precision. His fist, covered in that light from before, whizzes past my face as I dodge to the right and do a one-handed back flip in order to nail him in the jaw with the move.

His speed and recovery is marvelous, something I always found attractive in him, but now it might end up leading to my downfall. I need at least one of those Chaos Emeralds to be back at full power or to figure out a way to snap him out of this.

"Shadow, you have to remember!" My right arm lifts to block the fist that would've connected with my face. "I love you!" A kick to my stomach has me choking, but I use my bent position to swipe his legs from under him and continue with vigor, "We're Chaos Bound! Meant to be!"

He growls furiously and vanishes from my vision, forcing me to rely on my senses to feel him appear behind me. Unfortunately, I can't escape the hold he takes me in as he locks my arms to my sides and grips my neck tightly from behind.

"Stop lying! Those memories aren't real!" he yells, enraged, pressing tightly on my injury, eliciting a shrill scream from my throat.

Tails begins to cry and, by the sounds of it, struggle in Knuckles' hold at my suffering. "Stop it! Knuckles, we have to help him!"

"You come within reach and you die," is all the warning Shadow gives. "I already have plans for you and your friends. If this is the worst you think I can do… you are sadly mistaken." He's serious. Deadly so, and I have no choice but to fall back on my last option: immobilize Shadow by any means.

"Knuckles, get Tails out of here _now_. Make sure the other team found Shade and got him back safely."

"Sonic, no! I'm not leaving you here!" Tails shrieks with finality, and I hear Knuckles grunt as my brother probably puts up a decent fight even in his injured state.

Growling, I snap, "Then find some place to take cover, since you want to be so damn foolish!" With this I spike my normally relaxed quills, which forces Shadow to release me or possibly lose an eye.

When I turn to face him after creating distance, Shadow appears infuriated that I managed to best him yet again. "Full of surprises," he repeats with a type of bloodthirsty glee. "Now… who is this Shade? You seemed pretty adamant on his safe return."

I bristle further at the thought of him not even remembering his own son, the one he nearly died to save. "He's our son, Shadow! Ringin' any bells?" I taunt childishly, having no other way to mask the hurt that causes turmoil inside of me.

His eye ridges lower dangerously. "What did I say about lies, hedgehog? Now how would you feel if I were to, say, go out and find this 'Shade' and leave him less than well?"

That… actually does it. Something shifts inside me, and I appear before Shadow without actually having moved, my fist driving forward to connect with his arrogant face roughly. Visible blood trails down his tan muzzle when he turns his face to reestablish our gaze.

"Threaten our son again and you will regret it, Shadow. No matter how much I love you, I _won't_ let you hurt the innocent."

He simply smirks. "Touched a nerve, hmm? Maybe that will make this fight more interesting."

We become a blur, smashing and clashing against each other in identical bursts of light. The walls become smashed and hollowed as we collide with any and everything in our path. As I lose myself to feelings of anguish and ire, I don't even realize when my left arm comes into the fray or when powerful balls of light begin to fly in a flurry towards Shadow with each swing of my hand.

With each strike to his form, each hit to my body, the environment becomes hotter with our rising power, and my vision blurs with irrational tears. "You have no reason to be angry with me, Shadow! I'm innocent! You, on the other hand, you lied to me! You killed Eggman, and you didn't even tell me!" My next strike causes scarlet red to pour from his nose, but the anxieties and insecurities I've had surrounding Shadow since this whole debacle started won't allow me to let up. "You keep so much from me! I don't even know if I know all of you!"

He grasps my arms swiftly in order to jerk my body roughly towards his then lifts his foot and slams it once, twice, three times into my stomach before letting me go so that I can collapse to my knees, blood dribbling past my lips.

"Shut your filthy mouth this instant!" he snarls "You know nothing of me!"

"Exactly!" I yell while shakily standing so that I'm at level with his eyes, "E-exactly. You won't let me in. I thought I knew you, but you won't let me _in_." I break before lunging at him in a last-ditch effort to get him to remember us.

He struggles against my hold as I meld my lips to his. It's messy and slippery with blood, but he has to remember this touch, this sensation. His thrashes don't stop, but I feel his tongue suddenly force itself forward and begin to consume my depths hungrily as if he's in complete conflict with himself. As he tries to break my hold, his energy, a mirror of my own, begins to skyrocket, causing a blinding light to form behind my closed lids.

Without conscious thought, the power within me does the same, and I begin to hear metal buckling, wilting under the pressure of our strength. Shadow turns his head from me, which sufficiently breaks the kiss, and his eyes lock on my face, lit with an unnatural glow fueled by the power we both share. "Stop this madness, hedgehog!"

Realizing there might not be a way to get Shadow back, I let my mind drown in the endless loop of his hatred, his thirst for vengeance, his wish to harm me, to have me dead, and make a rash decision. "There's only one way for the madness to stop, and we'll find it together."

I force him into a final kiss and allow my body to set itself up for oblivion.

~XxoOoxX~

Knuckles assumed that hastily kicking off his shoe and retrieving his sock in order to tie it around the kitsune's wounded tail would be the most of his worries, but then that Shadow character who he never had a good feeling about from the beginning started rampaging and displaying his true colors. Pity swells within him at the thought of ending up with such a mate. He and Rouge may argue and tease a lot, but there's an underlying love that branches between them.

Hiding a far distance down the hall from the loud explosions that emit from the two hedgehogs reminds him of what he should be working his way back to.

"Tails, we have to get out of here! Those two are clearly going to blow this place sky high!" Knuckles yells while fruitlessly tugging on the skinny arm of the twin-tailed fox. If he has to, he'll hall him over his shoulder and take off. He just wants to at least give the kit a chance to come willingly.

"No, we can't! Sonic… Shadow… they'll die!" he cries with a hopeless expression, the persistent beeping on his advanced Wrist Com. refusing to let up since the two hedgehogs began escalating their power.

"You know what's about to happen. You told me yourself," Knuckles urges desperately as he pulls the fox a little farther from the battle.

Tails clenches his eyes shut as twin rivers of hot, salty tears begin to spill down his flushed muzzle. "I know. Their powers have become active."

"Then what are we standing here for? You said they could destroy planets!"

"And _themselves!_ They don't know how to fully control such a power! They're going to die!" the fox heatedly counters, blatant refusal to leave clear in his cerulean depths.

Knuckles' eyes harden, and he prepares to take the kid by force when a blinding white light begins to envelop the hall, even from their distance.

"Shit! It's happening! We're getting out of here!" the red echidna yells while pulling the fighting fox over his shoulder kicking and screaming.

Turning in the opposite direction of sure destruction, Knuckles halts in his steps when he witnesses the sight of a green glowing beauty. Her smile is peaceful, and her blue eyes shine with hope and life.

Tails, having noticed Knuckles' lack of movement, takes a look over his shoulder and is mortified by the sight of Cosmo. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

Her smile doesn't change as she moves closer, and her answer is as simple as the wind. "I am here to help, Tails."

His eyes begin to water as vivid memories of her past sacrifice come to mind in sharp relief. "You're not going over there, Cosmo."

She disregards his words in favor of speaking. "The others arrived back safely, but I felt that something might be wrong. When you all didn't come back, Rouge managed to hack into Knuckles' communicator, and we caught on to what was happening." She looks between the two with a calm smile as she slowly drifts past them like the calm of a breeze. "I sensed that I could do something, so I followed that feeling to here."

As she moves past a baffled Knuckles and a thoroughly hysterical Tails, he screams and begs for her not to go. "Cosmo! You can't leave! _Don't leave me again!"_

Without turning back, her words echo in his mind as Knuckles hightails it out of the area and to safety.

"Everything will be alright, Tails. I promise you."

* * *

So... a week to wonder what's going to happen...

Only two more chapters left. Can't believe we made it this far.


	16. When Hope Isn't Enough

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. They all belong to SEGA.

The story, however, belongs to me.

Story Beta Read by: Pepper1622

* * *

 **~16~**

 **-When Hope Isn't Enough-**

A void of soft, wispy white flourishes around me, cradling and caressing my naked mind. Time doesn't exist, substance doesn't exist, life… doesn't exist. Everything is quiet and peaceful as I drift listlessly without a single thought, a single worry. It's easy, seamless here, and I don't wish to fight it or want to struggle.

I want to plunge into it head first.

As my formless body begins to evaporate and lose all meaning, colors begin to flicker and capture my waning interest. Halting my evanescence, I watch as the hues gain significance: a little kid who wanted nothing more than to have a best friend, a tough friend who's loyal and always willing to compete, and a girl who'd never give up on me. The colors rapidly begin to expand and multiply as I remember and fight, fight to get closer, to better understand.

They are friends who'd stand by me no matter what, who I should never leave behind. As I touch the colors delicately with a newly gloved hand, I come upon a color separated from the others; this one seems to envelope me in heart-swelling, intoxicating emotions. A male who is my opposite yet inexplicably pulls me in with every word, every glance, and every touch. A male who gave me the purest of loves and my healthy little boy.

A male that I cannot live without.

As I spin around in vibrant blue, gazing at the once-empty void now splashed in luminescent colors, I realize that death is far too easy to give into.

Life is much harder to give up on.

~XxX~

"Ughn…" I weakly lift my weary eyelids to see soft golden light streaming in from an open window somewhere nearby. "What… happened?" I'm a little confused. I recall being in a fight… fighting Shadow? I grip my head as I sit up, and the recollections flourish. He doesn't remember a thing. He wants me dead.

Staring down drearily at my hands now placed in my lap, I realize this is the bed that resides in Tails' workshop, where he always bandages me up after a battle. My head lifts up at the sound of his voice and approach, the memory of his bloody, mangled tail warranting my full attention.

"Sonic, you're awake!" His fur is pristine, fluffy and soft for a young fox such as him. Looking at his namesakes, I notice the left one wrapped neatly in bandages and a brace.

"How're you holding up?" I question after taking my eyes off the white bindings.

Now standing at my bedside, he gives me an incredulous look.

"Me? I'm fine. You should be more concerned about yourself," Tails points out sternly.

I raise an eye ridge. "And why is that?"

"You've been out for three days!"

 _Three days?_

"Three?" I tug my left arm as I attempt to shift to the edge of the bed, except a sharp pinch causes me pause. Looking down, I notice an IV drip leading into the crook of my left elbow and, upon further inspection, the complete and total regeneration of the muscle, skin, and fur that was surely mangled by that alien that got hold of me.

Inhaling slowly, I look up at my best bud with imploring eyes. "Mind telling me what happened back there?"

He nods slowly and takes a seat next to me on the bed as he gives the tale. "You and Shadow, your powers of balanced Chaos became fully active, and you two were… you were gonna explode, taking everything within at least 8,000 miles with it."

I wince internally at the image. _Everyone dead… because of us?_

"Knuckles was trying to get me to leave by force… when Cosmo showed up," he continues solemnly.

I grip tighter to the ledge of the bed and look around the room briefly for any sign of the Seedrian before looking at his body language. If she's gone because of me… I don't know if I could ever forgive myself.

"She said everyone had arrived back safely when she felt she was needed, basically. She went to you guys, and that's when Knuckles took me away back to the Typhoon. Everyone thought for sure we wouldn't make it because… there was simply no time to create a Warp Ring with how rapidly your energies were escalating.

"So we waited. And waited. But nothing happened, and my radar showed a plunge in energy readings, which, although was relieving, made us all worry. Knuckles, Scourge, and Rouge went back to check out what happened, forcing me to stay with Amy and Shade no matter how much I protested that I was fine," he explains while softly running his hand along the dressings of his wound.

"So everyone's okay? Shade, Cosmo? …Shadow?" I ask hesitantly, craving to see all three to reassure myself that they didn't vanish from my life like smoke.

"Shade is fine. Just shaken up and missing his parents," he tells me with a small smile. "But the others have been giving him lots of attention. Spoiling him, really."

I chuckle softly at the thought of seeing my tiny little boy again and getting to hold him in my arms… but Tails still hasn't fully answered my question. "What about the others?"

"When they came back, they were carrying your unconscious bodies. For a second I thought you all were dead, but the sight of your rising chests brought a heaping of relief. When Cosmo woke up, she told us that she simply neutralized your powers, and then I remembered: she's the third power. It's what she's meant to do."

I wrap my right arm around his shoulder in a warm hug, happy about the outcome. "You never have these kind of experiences being an average old Mobian. That was one heck of an adventure, huh?"

Oddly enough, he doesn't look as ecstatic as I feel. "Sonic."

"What's wrong?" I question slowly, not liking his somber tone one bit.

"You're forgetting about Shadow."

"What about him? He's fine, right?"

This prompts a heavy sigh from his chest, and the small denial that _he'll be fine after that battle, he'll return back to normal and we can move forward_ all but vanish from my mind. "I have him contained in a room that I use for all of my Chaos experiments. It sort of makes it impossible for him to try and teleport out of it…" he starts off slowly, hesitant of my reproach.

I'm already moving to take the IV from my arm, the pins-and-needles-like feeling along my legs when I stand not stopping me in the least. "Take me to him."

Tails is on his feet and in front of me with raised hands in an attempt to halt my rash behavior. "Wait! Don't you think you should see Shade first?"

I inhale, about to retort, but then think better of it and nod. As we exit, I make sure to tell him, "This isn't over. You have to tell me everything you found out with Shadow later."

His eyes hold agreement. "Sure thing."

~XxX~

The living room is full of people lazing about on the couches or simply standing casually. A distinct lack of red lets me know that Knuckles is missing. _Probably off on a date with his rock again._ I inwardly chuckle before catching wind of Scourge's comment to Amy.

"Rose, the way you've been coddlin' over that kid makes me think you want one or somethin'."

"Well, of course I do, silly! Isn't he so sweet and adorable? Just imagine a combination of us! Oh, it'll be too precious!" she gushes while cooing at Shade's smiling face, completely missing the look of horror that consumes her mate's expression for a brief moment.

My laugh brings all eyes on me as I stride confidently over in the couple's direction, lending a smirk Rouge's way and a grateful smile to Cosmo before I speak to Scourge. "Not ready for parenthood yet, huh? It's… an adventure all on its own," I admit while reaching my arms towards Amy, who's smiling happily at the sight of my healed form.

Shade fits like a missing puzzle piece in my arms, his warmth burning into my chest as I cradle him close. The look on his face as he sees me is one of a kind, the happiest you could ever see a little baby. My lips brush his forehead, and I feel his tiny ebony hand place itself on my muzzle. I lift my own considerably larger one and hold his there as I stare into his bright green eyes, the absolute relief I feel to have him back safe and sound astounding.

"Little Shade, I promise to be a better mommy, okay? I won't let bad people get their hands on you again. I love you so much, little one," I whisper to his mystified mind in complete sincerity.

~XxX~

The afternoon into late evening is spent holding and taking care of my son, while relaxing with friends, although the elephant in the room is clear: the mystery of Shadow. Tails disappeared down into the workshop hours prior and hasn't returned since, which leads me to believe he's up to some research. Shade, now slumbering soundly in my arms, is in need of his crib, which is unfortunately back at Hill Top. Apparently Amy's been kind enough to sleep holding him, leaving Scourge to imagine just what his future would be like once a kid comes into the picture.

Standing from my seat next to Cosmo, I walk in my passionate pink friend's direction and gently move Shade towards her position. "Do you mind watching him while I go see what Tails is up to? I hope you don't mind…" I add, even though I know she doesn't. Plus the murderous look Scourge shoots me is a bonus to be gained when she happily accepts with open arms.

"Thanks!" I exclaim quietly before dashing down to the workshop to demand some answers.

Tails' screen is lit with prototypes of diagrams of something… circular? Although, red errors keep popping up with every change he makes. The worry and frustration is clear in his shoulders as he types and mutters rapidly under his breath.

"Tails," I call softly, which results in him spinning around to stare at me, surprised. "What's this you're working on?"

"It, uh… it has to do with Shadow."

I nod shortly, knowing this would be where the conversation eventually lead to. "So what have you found out?"

"I examined him physically and Chaos-wise to see if there were any odd things immediately noticeable, and those Rings he wears on his wrists were the big difference," he starts off. "They were glowing this bright blue light that clearly didn't used to exist, and upon closer inspection I saw that he had gems embedded in them. Those gems are the cause of the negative influence on his mind."

A smile filled with ease works its way onto my face as I move closer to my brother. "Well, okay! Let's just take the gems out, and everything will be back to normal."

He rubs his head tiredly and then looks at me with empathy and exasperation. "Sonic, I love your enthusiasm, but you really should be a bit more patient when I'm trying to explain things like this."

"What's there to be patient about? It seems pretty simple to me."

"That's because you don't understand the total logistics of it. Those gems aren't anything to laugh at. They work off of the body's power. The more he used his abilities, the quicker they gained control. It probably happened without him even fully realizing what was going on.

"They're not something that can just be removed anymore, Sonic. They've somehow sealed themselves into his Rings, and there's no discernible separation between the two."

The weight of the situation drops on me like a weighted ruling. _Will this never end?_

"So you can't just remove his Rings or something of the sort?" I inquire in a pressing tone.

"I wish it were that simple. Has he told you about them?" Tails asks while idly looking back at the incomplete diagram rotating on his computer.

"Yeah, a little. They're his Inhibitor Rings. They keep his Chaos energy in check."

"Oh, Sonic, it's so much more than that." He shakes his head slowly. "They not only keep his energy under control, but his energy is required to travel through them to be filtered or purified. It's hard to explain. It's kind of like how our blood travels through our kidneys to be removed of impurities before going back through the body," he tries to simplify for my mind.

I nod a little in understanding in order for him to continue.

"So right now his energy is traveling through those Rings and being tainted, or _poisoned_ , which is affecting his mind critically. Attempting to remove them after they've altered his mind so severely might result in irreversible damage to his memories."

Tightening and un-tightening my fists, I absorb this information gradually. "So that's why he wants me—well, all of us—dead. How are we going to fix this, Tails? For once things seem… impossible," I mutter dejectedly, fearing there really might not be a way to bring my Chaos Bound back.

Just as the thought begins to consume me, a recollection briefly reveals itself to me. "There's something strange, though. When I was fighting him, trying to get him to remember, he at one point said, 'Those memories aren't real!' Maybe he does remember some things, but these gems are making him think they're lies." The more I think about it, the more it sounds true, and slowly an idea of how to win Shadow back comes forth.

"Sonic… no. I know what you're thinking, and it won't work," Tails says while staring at me seriously. "I'm working on creating an identical pair of Inhibitor Rings through reverse engineering, but it's a slow process, and even that might not work. He needs to be kept _contained_ until then."

I agree halfheartedly in understanding and spin around in curiosity as to where Shadow actually is being confined. I've never actually been to this room he apparently does Chaos testing in.

Tails spins around to face his monitor again as his typing picks up once more. "There's a hidden door on the wall when the stairs curve as you head down to get to the Blue Typhoon. Just press against it, and it'll retract and slide open. To leave, just press the green button on the wall. Don't mess with _anything_ in there, all right?"

"Sure thing, buddy!" I call, already heading to the door at the very back of the workshop, which leads further below ground. The area opens to a widespread room filled with dull lights, as it's not currently in use. Paying more attention to the turn in the stairs than the giant spacecraft stationed to my left, I see the desired spot along the dull gray wall and apply pressure with my palm.

A soft hissing sounds as the wall indeed retracts and then slides to the left, disappearing into a slot. Entering the secret room, which lights upon my presence, I hear the hatch close behind me, but my focus is on the hedgehog strapped down by metal cuffs to a medical bed within a fortified cube-like glass container.

Without conscious thought, I find myself pressed against the glass in an attempt to get closer to his unconscious form. He seems still, calm, completely innocent… if it weren't for the telling blue glow of his Rings.

My eyes trail along the secure structure for a way to get in before a noticeable green button on a control unit mounted to the wall adjacent to me provides a convenient solution. I press it without falter; a seamless door forms and swings inwards, allowing me to my most desired.

My eyes stay trained on the rhythmic rising and falling of his chest, a sure sign that he's asleep. All of his wounds are healed from what I can tell, from the broken nose, bruised jaw, and battered skin along his torso. I'm relieved to know that I didn't seriously harm him in the end. Lifting my right hand to place on his cheek, I end up stumbling over my feet when his eyes snap open in a similar fashion to that of a dead man rising.

I steady my posture just as his low resonance reaches my ears.

"Come to conduct your callous experiments?" He sounds resigned to fate, and at the same time infuriated at his failure. "I should've went for a quick kill. Screw my ideas of torture."

My ears lower in profound sorrow. "I just came to see you, Shadow. That's all."

"You've seen me. Now leave."

I sense the annoying sting that happens every time tears form in my eyes, but I push them back.

"No," I say, adamant in my decision.

"No?" He's dubious as his eyes trail across my visage, the want to lay a violent hand on me apparent, but there's also something else. Confusion?

"No. Not until I understand truly what's happening in that head of yours right now."

"Fat chance of that happening." He rolls his eyes and casts my concern away like garbage.

"You said something about some memories being fake," I start off. "What memories were you talking about?"

"Don't play ignorant. You know exactly what was implanted in my mind," he hisses quietly.

"How can memories be implanted? That's impossible!" I counter, tired of his insufferable attitude.

"You don't know the half of what I've been through, what I've seen. Something like that would be simple."

Growling under my breath at his hint that, yet again, I really don't know everything about him that I should, I change the question. "Okay, how about this? Why don't you tell me your memories? What you _truly_ remember."

"Seeing as I don't really have a choice at the moment," he eventually responds, slightly shifting his body against the bed's cushion, the chains against his wrists and ankles clinking in protest, "I'll give you a brief summary."

"No, I want it in full detail," I object fervently.

"You're not the one in charge here, hedgehog," he tells me cryptically from his bound position on the bed.

"Seeing as I'm the one with free movement, I beg to differ."

His eyes force a connection between us, and I'm locked into an unforgiving stare. If I thought his personality was domineering before, I must have been wearing some rose-colored glasses. This here is true unchecked dominance, and I'm embarrassed to say that it makes me weak in the knees. "Okay, okay. You're… in charge."

He releases me from the oppressing stare in favor of staring through the glass ceiling. "You already know I'm the Ultimate Lifeform. It's why you went after me, after all."

I roll my eyes but let him continue.

"The army unit aboard the space colony I was created on forced me into strict training, and in return they wouldn't hurt… they wouldn't harm my dear friend. I was experimented on, but most of all I was taught how to fight, how to kill."

I nod, knowing this part already, but there was something Shadow always seemed wary about telling me. "Okay, so they gave you lessons. Taught you techniques and stuff, right?"

The stare he gives me is positively disturbing, and I get the faintest idea of what he's about to say before it even leaves his lips.

"Once a week I was forced into a room where my victim awaited. GUN thought a hands-on technique would be a better approach to get me hardened into the type of weapon they wanted. So, week after week, I murdered, killed, and slaughtered, becoming numb to the idea of it actually being wrong. I soon began to enjoy it, relish in it, the blood on my hands or soaked into my fur. The screams from my victims as I put them through the most gruesome of torture."

I turn away from him as he continues, feeling the annoying tears I fought so hard to keep back burn along my cheeks for an entirely different reason. _So this is what he kept from me…? Why didn't he trust me enough with something like this?_

"They eventually began to fear me and decided to shut down the whole colony in a way only fitting for such weak humans. In the end, my friend… she was murdered! And I promised her vengeance," he informs me with blazing eyes, the clinks as he tugs furiously on his restraints adding to his stormy appearance.

"That's where the memories get messed up," I start off slowly, making sure to wipe my eyes before I move closer to his side, reassured that he can't really do much with Tails' precautions. "She wanted you to bring happiness to people. You told me she was the noblest person you'd ever met."

He's shaking his head in denial and squeezing his eyes shut against my words. "Y-you're lying!"

"I'm not, Shadow. I'm not," I whisper as I move to grasp his face between my palms, his struggles calming in surprise for a split second before they renew with vigor.

"Get your hands off of me!" he cries in outrage.

"You have to understand. Black Doom tampered with your Inhibitor Rings after he kidnapped you and our son. It's poisoning your mind, tainting your memories. The ones you think are fake… the ones where we're happy together… those are _real_."

He stops fighting and gazes into my eyes for a long moment, allowing me to drown in his mystifying depths before he says with definiteness, "I don't have to believe a word you say."

"Then why did you kiss me back? I felt it back there," I accuse as I maintain eye contact with his festering orbs.

"Y-your blood is sweet, pure… I couldn't fight—it reminded me of something," he admits aggressively, the war going on in his mind almost tangible.

Leaning closer to his struggling visage, I press heatedly, "It's real, Shadow. You've tasted my blood before… The first time was when you fully claimed me as yours." My hand moves to the still-visible mark as evidence. "See? Right here."

He stares, astonished, studying the indentations where his teeth slotted perfectly on numerous occasions before I see out of the corner of my eye the blue glow on his Rings pulse softly. A warning I don't understand until it's too late.

A crash reverberates through the room as he shatters his bindings, ones I stupidly assumed would keep the Ultimate Lifeform bound, and pins me to the ground with one arm against my windpipe, the rest of me kept down by his heavy mass.

His free hand grabs a sharp fragment lying near us from the remains of the metal cuffs and holds it threateningly towards my face when I begin to struggle, the sharp tip gleaming in the room's fluorescent lights. "You're so sure of yourself, aren't you? You say you love me, hedgehog? Well, let's see if that's true after _this_."

* * *

Last chapter next week. Can you all believe it? The conclusion of the Chaos Bound Series in one week. You all have been so wonderful up until this point and I just want to thank you guys so much! I hope the finale will be what you all have been waiting for. ^-^


	17. Our Story's Never Ending

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. They all belong to SEGA.

The story, however, belongs to me.

Story Beta Read by: Pepper1622

* * *

 **~17~**

 **-Our Story's Never Ending-**

 _I stifle a pained whimper as I unintentionally shift in my lying potion along the slick ground. A haggard breath enters my lungs as hot red liquid drips into my eyes, forcing me to squeeze them closed. Seconds pass, and I expect another slash, another break, another—_

" _S-Sonic?" The sound is like a salvo in a quiet room, causing me to recoil, my ears far more used to my screams or pleas, his laughs and—_

"Sonic? _Oh, dear god, what have I done?" His tone is caked with sickness, disbelief… torment._

 _My body, broken and covered in bloody shame, can do nothing but shudder in the reprieve I've been given. "S-Shadow?" My thoughts are running a lot slower than normal, so the feeling of his body distancing itself from mine is a blessing and a curse._

 _His dark form comes into my field of vision as he backs away towards the exit. I can hardly see, my vision blurred in blood and tears, but the smearing of my body's fluids on his is hard to miss, as well as the distinct crystalline tears that travel down his muzzle. "Shads, are y-you really back?"_

 _He visibly retreats as if I've slapped him. Funny, seeing as I can barely move an inch. "How can you be so calm? After I—after I committed such atrocities!" he all but screams in horror as he moves his hands to grip his head so tightly, I'm positive he's trying to physically force the images from his mind._

" _You're b-back… no matter what's been done, or how much you hurt me while you weren't in control… as long as you're back, I'll feel this way," I explain sluggishly so as to not agitate my copious wounds._

 _He shakes his head as his defeated eyes finally open to stare at me, a decision beginning to form in their depths. "That's the problem, Sonic. I'm not back. I can feel it… creeping up. No matter what happens, whether I'm me right now or… that sick_ monster _from before, our connection is too deep, too strong. I'll always want you, hedgehog. I'll always_ want _you!" he exclaims, almost hysterical as his need for me becomes nearly overwhelming._

" _I promised to protect you and I failed! Time and time again. I-I need to fix myself, Sonic." He stares brokenly into my eyes, hopeless tears falling from his eyes one after the other. "Get rid of this corruption… which is why I must leave."_

 _The silence is almost deafening, and by some miracle my heart hadn't stopped before from all the things he put me through, but just those words… surely it'll stop now. "Don't do this, Shadow. I can help you. J-just let me_ in _. Please." I don't even yell, for I can scarcely even whisper, my lips barely finding the will to move at the crushing reality of his words._

 _He moves back hastily, his hand banging against the wall behind him a few times before finally locating the green button that'll allow him exit…_

 _"I love you… just remember that. I love you."_

 _The door closes, and I'm left dirtied and broken,_ destroyed _, on the hidden lab's floor._

 _He's gone._

 _He's_ gone.

 _He's—_

"SHADOW, COME BACK!" The cry pierces the air as my heart staggers and then escalates in my chest. My frazzled eyes search my room, seeking my ebony mate, only to see morning light seeping in from the open window, a usual sight to see. Lying back down with a heavy sigh, I realize it was just a dream, one I'm prone to get every so often.

I turn to look over at the empty side of my bed just as the sound of childish laughter emits from the handy baby monitor Tails built me. _I guess I didn't wake up early enough to go for my usual morning run. Maybe I can take Shade with me for a short one instead?_ I ponder while getting out of the plush bed and head to the bathroom to freshen up quickly before placing on my iconic running shoes. I turn to the nightstand as I lean down and place my lips on the cold glass image resting there. "Morning, Shadow…" Staring at it for a little while longer, I manage to turn and find my way to Shade's room alongside mine.

Soft morning rays stream down from above, casting the room in a soft glow. Toys of different sorts lie about on the floor here and there, due to Shade's and my lack of strict cleanliness, although I've been trying to keep on top of it. The beautiful rocker Amy helped pick out sits in the right corner of the room, but the main attraction is standing in his crib with a big smile on his face.

"Good morning, Shade!" I greet as I walk closer to pick him up, holding his light weight against my hip.

"'Morning, Mommy!" The chibiness of his voice is adorable to my ears.

"I know what you want, little guy. You want breakfast!" I tell him with excitement as I begin to mosey out of his room to the dining room, placing him in his notably navy high chair.

"Yes, please!" He claps in excitement with furry obsidian hands.

"Okie-dokie! What would you like?" I ask while moving into the kitchen, silver appliances on every counter. "Cereal or oatmeal?" Sadly my cooking skills have yet to improve over the last two years, but I experiment every once in a while. Just not with Shade's food.

"Oa… oat- _meel_ " He stresses the word with the cutest expression, and I can't fight the urge to kiss his cheek for the effort.

"Oatmeal it is." As I prepare the instant meal, I let my mind wander to how drastically life changed once Shadow made the decision to disappear from my life altogether.

Tails found me not too long after Shadow departed, and I was immediately rushed to the hospital. The doctors said I was barely hanging on by a thread, and there was a slim chance that I would every fully recover back to my supersonic running days.

My brother was twisted with guilt and grief, no matter how many times I told him it wasn't his fault and that I would never blame him. In an unexpected twist of events, Knuckles showed up and literally hauled me out of the building without so much as an explanation against the protest of the doctors. Our friends, especially Amy, nearly threatened to tear him a new one if he didn't bring me back, but he continued on until I was placed in front of the Master Emerald.

I'd long since passed out from the agony of being moved so soon after being emitted to the hospital, but my friends explained that Knuckles asked for the Master's help, and I was given a second chance, essentially. I couldn't thank him enough. If I'd lost my ability to run as well as just having lost Shadow, I'm unsure as to how I would've went on.

Of course, the civility between us almost completely disappeared when, right after, he went and destroyed the Chaos Signature tracker to dash my chances of finding Shadow. I still attempted to search, but with little luck and Shade needing me, I reluctantly began to abstain from the near-crippling demand that I find him.

I became a single "mom" from then on. Shade deserved to at least have one parent remain in his life. I learned quickly to keep my hope that Shadow would one day walk through the front door in the back of my mind, so that I could still enjoy life and be a good mother to Shade.

"Mommy?" The little voice brings me out of my musings, and I quickly grab the bowl of by now cooling porridge in order to place it and a spoon before him.

"Thank you."

I smile in pride at teaching him so well. The others were doubtful that without a more, uh, _sophisticated_ mind around Shade would end up poorly mannered, but I'm thoroughly proving them wrong.

"You're welcome," I respond as I open the cool refrigerator in order to grab a few leftover chili dogs. Even at twenty-three, my love for them hasn't wavered. After heating them, I sit at the dining table across from my son, wolfing the things down as I watch him haphazardly spoon mouthfuls of blueberry oatmeal into his mouth, his little feet kicking lightly when he accidentally smears some across his cheeks.

I chuckle lightly at the sight, noting that he's still a little sloppy, but he's getting better. Definitely better.

"All done!" he declares with a face lightly coated in sweet-tasting oatmeal.

Placing my dish in the sink, I pick up his bowl and do the same, my right hand grasping a soft cloth to dampen it in order to clean his face. Holding his tiny visage gently as he squints and squirms slightly at my gentle rubbing, I say in an agreeing tone, "Yes, you are."

Afterwards I bring him to the living room, placing him briefly on my lap in order to put his tiny special-made shoes upon his feet. Just looking at them brings a wistful sigh to my lips. It was a few months back, in January perhaps, when Shade showed signs of being more comfortable with running. I became curious with the idea of if he could in fact run as fast as his parents. So… I took him to Tails' place.

The look on my bro's face when he discovered the reason for our visit was priceless.

" _Sonic! He's two! Why would you even ask such a thing?" Tails demands, incredulous._

" _Well, I know I was running around and driving people nuts when I was a kid, so I just wanted to find out if Shade had that ability too."_

Although my usually logical brother continued to show doubt, he had led me down to the workshop and surprised me with a small pair of shoes identical to mine. Simply put, he was prepared for my way of thinking. Excited, I'd placed the shoes on little Shade and hoped to see him blazing around the room. Of course, I knew he wouldn't immediately be as fast as Shadow or me, but still, speeds beyond that of a child his age were what I was expecting.

Only he hadn't reached them. He ran around to my encouragement but seemed frustrated at his lack of progress, as if he knew what he should be able to achieve. I'd felt a little disappointed at the time but decided that maybe it was a little too early to test his abilities. I was about to take the little toddler with me to go when Tails had stopped me with a wary smile.

" _Sonic, wait… why don't we try these shoes?"_ The shoes he offered are the ones Shade wears now, modeled after his father's. Shadow is still a touchy subject among my friends, with Knuckles and Amy being completely against him; Rouge, Scourge, and Cosmo being on his side; and Tails just wanting my happiness.

When Shade adorned the air-shoes, jet-shoes, I never really asked the specifics; I could feel his Chaos energy begin to fluctuate erratically as the skates seemed to help him understand what he was supposed to do. Before my eyes he began blazing around like a natural, the perfect replica of his father.

Sitting him down in the royal blue-with-white-and-black shoes he jumps up and down in excitement for a moment before pointing to the front door. "Outside! Outside!"

With a soft smile I look towards the drawn blinds of the living room window to see gloomy clouds gathering in the once-beautiful sky. Turning back to the overexcited child, I have a hard time delivering the news. "Well, kiddo, it looks like it's going to rain…"

He looks at me, positively downtrodden. "But promise?"

My ears fold as I remember what I told him the day before about taking him to the shopping district so that he could pick out a new toy for being so good the week prior. "Well… okay."

"Yay!"

"But…"

"Uh-oh," he responds cutely.

Sweeping him up in a hug while laughing, I begin to walk towards the coat stand where I grab a very thin jacket meant for rain and place it on him. "It's nothing bad. You just have to stay bundled up in case it rains. I don't want you to get sick."

"You?" He looks at my completely uncovered form as I bend down to pick up an umbrella.

Opening the front door and closing it behind us as I place him on the ground, I begin to explain while he walks excitedly next to me. "I'll be fine. Plus we have this nice umbrella."

The weather is pleasant this early spring as we walk the worn path through the tall pine trees towards the market area. People are ambling about, turning curious eyes towards me but, most notably, my son.

I kind of regret telling that newsstand guy the truth about my reasons for being seen running about in Hill Top Zone in such a state. Of course, he was just trying to clear my name, but in doing so he caused the press to go wild. When I eventually returned to Hill Top—and even a bit before—Mobians were asking questions. Who was my mate? Was he the illustrious black hedgehog? What did it feel like to be a male and carry a baby?

Rolling my eyes in remembrance of how long it took for most of the gossip and curiosity to die down, I feel an annoyance that just because I'm the world hero _I_ get harassed about being a "submissive" while the others out there get no such recognition. Shadow would've had a field day had he been here.

Looking at his son who he'd be so proud of right now, I grab Shade's little hand as we reach the shopping area and exhale heavily. _You should be here right now._

"Mommy! Mommy!"

Expecting to see him pointing at something he's decided on getting rashly—taking after me in that sense—I feel my heart screech to a halt and then attempt to caper out of my chest at the hedgehog he's pointing at.

"Shadow…"

He's standing in the center of the stalls with an air of indifference, yet the soft confusion that lies deep within his crimson orbs is something he wouldn't be able to hide from me. I breathe in shakily as I observe his form, noting the subtle change in his physique, his muscle definition, his overall _allure._ I thought that saying about the absence makes the heart grow fonder wouldn't be so true, until this very moment, that is, as I watch my Chaos Bound gaze around in search of something.

"Mommy, let's go!" Shade exclaims while attempting to pull me in Shadow's direction. I'm surprised he still remembers Shadow, although it does help that I tend to show him a picture of the mysterious hedgehog every night at bedtime, promising that his daddy loves him too…

I allow the small hedgehog to pull me along; the straining of my heart as we get closer and closer unfortunately makes it hard for me to put one foot in front of the other. When we're about a yard away, Shadow's eyes lock on us like a target, and I remember that he was affected by those gems, and I have _Shade_ with me right now. Quickly scanning his body again, I realize something. The blue glow is gone. _Did he find a way to remove them? Is he really back to normal?_

When there's a foot between us, Shade attempts to break my hold on his hand in order to get to the older hedgehog. "Daddy!"

My face flushes in embarrassment as I sweep the little hedgehog off his feet into my arms and finally allow my gaze to hold that of my missing mate's. Just as deep and mystifying as I last remembered them, his eyes watch us curiously and with a hint of… _frustration?_

"Shadow?" I question uncertainly, wanting him to be the one to start off the conversation. I need to understand where his mind is right now, why he decided to come back… before I can finally collapse in his arms, where I rightfully belong.

His eyes travel between Shade and me in concentration for a moment before finding relief in the darkening sky. "I apologize. I don't really remember much…" he trails off slowly as his eyes leave the sky to gaze at my countenance as it slowly crumbles and shatters.

"Wh-what?" _It's not true. He's mistaken_. My eyes land on his perfectly un-tampered-with Inhibitor Rings, and Tails' explanation from years prior comes back in startling clarity. _Irrevocable damage to his memories._

"Where have you been?" I demand in a barbed whisper, pulling Shade to my chest in a warm hug, his reaching arm moving to lie on my chest as he listens to words he barely understands.

Shadow raises his hand and places it on my lower back as he guides us out of the crowded market, the heat of his palm almost certainly burning straight to my nerves. When we're far enough away from prying eyes and listening ears, he takes his hand away, freeing me from his warm touch, letting me breathe smoothly again.

"I was… somewhere cold, freezing. I remember feelings of sorrow and fury, a turmoil that nearly drove me insane… if I somehow wasn't already," he begins as his eyes once again move to stare at the oncoming rain.

The soft tug of the fur along my chest has me glancing down at Shade, who seems to be studying the differences between Shadow and me with curious emerald eyes; the probing gaze he has for Shadow lets me know just how much he'd like to get to know him.

"I was beginning to grow weak there with no food and… Chaos energy."

I notice his right hand run along the smooth expanse of his left Ring. The way he said _Chaos energy_ sounds as if he just learned about it recently, which very well may be true.

"So I left and moved to a less intense climate, but it was still cold in its temperament. This is where I met a Mobian, a male walrus. He offered me food and a place to stay, but I refused his hospitality, not wishing to stay with another. He was persistent, though, and continued to offer me food every day even though, if I recall, I threatened to tear out his spine and feed it to him."

Wincing, I pet Shade's back, happy that he's too young to really understand. "Okay, so this guy… you became friends?" I ask, curious of this mysterious character.

"Acquaintances. It turns out he's a gifted engineer, and when I finally permitted him to get close enough, he discovered my Inhibitor Rings and their clear malfunction. He told me he'd create a new set, but it would take time and most likely my memories, although he did say the loss could be temporary," Shadow informs me with a slight glance.

Eyes filling with hope, I swallow my nerves and hold Shade closer—realizing this is the first time he's ever been this patient—before asking the simplest question, "Why?"

"You."

"Me?" I counter, unconvinced of the possibility.

He turns to fully face me head on, and I see a flickering flame deep within his eyes, trying desperately to reignite. The same one that represents his love, his passion for me…

"Yes, _you_. I would tell him of this blue hedgehog that polluted my mind from the very beginning, prior to his removal of my Inhibitors, and even after the event took place. You are the constant, he told me. If I were to find you . . ." he trails off as he hesitantly, unsure of himself, places his warm palm on my cheek. "Then I could most likely regain everything."

I open my mouth to respond, words practically tripping over my tongue in a haste to be heard when I see a little hand reach out and touch Shadow's.

"Daddy?"

Shadow's ears twitch as he acknowledges the voice, and his eyes train on the little boy in my arms. He tentatively moves to rub his hand along the fur on our son's head.

"Hi there, little one…" he whispers gently as he watches the little hedgehog intently as if concentrating… and then I hear something astounding: "You can't have shade without shadow."

My inhale is sharp as we lock eyes again, and a barely-there smile crosses his tan muzzle as he lifts Shade from my arms and cradles him in a soft hug.

I can barely fathom his words; all I can achieve is a "How?"

"You… just being around you fills me with an indescribable _need_. I can't explain it. I just know that I need it. I need _you,_ " he tells me seriously as our son plays happily with the fluffy white fur on Shadow's chest.

Not even attempting to speak at first, I finally end up nodding quickly before I make a choice. "You can have me. You always have, but you have to promise me something, and you have to _keep_ it, Shadow."

He stares at me with eyes that say he'll give me the world as long as I let him keep me, which makes it suddenly harder to inhale. "Anything."

"There was something I actually wanted to talk to you about before, uh… before you disappeared," I begin somewhat unsteadily. "I understand that you have darker tendencies—you wouldn't be my Chaos opposite if that weren't the case—but that doesn't make you a _bad_ person, Shadow. I think that's what was really eating at you before," I explain softly as I lift a hand to caress his cheek gently as a troubled expression appears upon his face.

"If you'd only talked to me about it, maybe none of this would have happened. Don't take that the wrong way—I'd _never_ blame you. I just want honesty between us from now on, okay? You have to promise to trust me completely, to never keep things from me, and to not ever give up on me again," I demand with serious emerald eyes as I stare at him unflinchingly. "That's what it felt like before when you left, like you'd given up on everything we'd worked towards and dreamed of ever having. I don't ever want to feel like that again.

"Do you understand?" He has to recognize that I'm serious about this.

He absorbs my words wholeheartedly as he holds our son and studies me critically. When he finally does speak, it's with the utmost sincerity. "I promise. And I… won't ever give up on you again."

Those words sever the restraints I somehow held as I finally allow myself to bask in the peace of his presence and move into his arm as it opens to hold me next to our son. "So you're ready to jump into my life again as well? I have a few friends who are out for your head on a silver platter and a few who will welcome you back with open arms. As a matter of fact, we planned a sort of 'reunion' for tomorrow. Just in time, huh?" I tell him teasingly but mostly with a happiness I never thought I'd fully feel again.

We begin to stroll slowly in the direction of our cabin home while he responds in good nature, "As long as I have you, I can handle anything."

 _Wow…_ I feel myself waver in steps and decided to instead rely on my crimson-streaked mate to keep me going. I nestle my face into his shoulder just as I feel a cold splash of water pelt my fur. With quick thinking I pull the umbrella from the crook of my elbow and open it over us right before the light rain truly begins. Looking up into Shadow's luminescent red eyes, I feel my face flush as I murmur something out of curiosity, "My name's Sonic in case… in case you didn't remember."

He pulls me closer and purrs into my ear, causing the flush on my cheeks to burn brighter. " _Sonic…_ What a magnificent name for _perfection."_

 _He definitely hasn't lost his charm…_ I think in a daze before the soft giggles from Shade cause me to turn in his direction.

"Mommy's face red!"

I open my mouth and then seal my lips tight before Shadow adds his two cents: "Yes, it is. I think he looks even more beautiful this way."

" _Shads!_ " I protest over the sound of light rain hitting the umbrella and pattering all along the ground. He simply gives a rumbling chuckle as the cabin comes into view with my guidance.

A winning smile adorns my face as we draw nearer, the thought that even if things spin way out of control between Shadow and I, we'll always find our way back to each other.

We're Chaos Bound. _Meant to be_.

And even if life isn't perfect, pretty much a complicated mess of things, as long as I have my imperfectly perfect Shadow to go through it with, we'll turn it in to our own chaotic adventure.

* * *

So we finally reach an end! Thanks so much for sticking with this until this point guys! Each and every one of you, all of your support has meant so much! Just thank _you!_

I just wanted to let you all know that I don't know when I'll make another Sonadow story. But thanks for supporting the one's I have made thus far. I don't know how far I would have gotten without the support :)


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